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•f. ■* V 



-Darkness and Daybreak. 



1 



(Romans xiii: 12.) 




Personal Kxpkriences, Manners, Customs, Habits, * 
Religious and Social Life in 
Persia. 



BY 

RKV. ISAAC ADAMS. 



PUBLISHED in the INTEREST OF PERSIAN 
MISSION. 



1893, 



J 



COPYRIGHTED. 




W' 



L'V 







2ntl 



189fl 



DICKINSON BROS. 

ENGRAVERS AND PRINTERS, 

GRAND RAPIPS, MICH. 



, T 



PREFACE. 



HE author of this little volume, "Darkness and 
Daybreak," is a native of Persia, who is known to 
us more than four years. Mr. Adams has been with us in 
intimate association, in relig"ious exercises and social 
life, and all who know him can bear testimon}^ to the 
purity and unselfishness of his character, to his earnest- 
ness and laboriousness as a student, to his intense zeal 
for the spread of the g-ospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in 
Persia and the world, and to the wrong-s and suffering's 
and lost condition of his people. 

This work serves a useful purpose in imparting- fresh 
information and quickening- an intellig-ent interest of a 
hopeful Christian effort. We hope that no student of 
the King-dom, no servant of Christ and his Church 
should fail to g-ive serious and sympathetic attention to 
the spread of the gospel in helping- our dear brother 
Isaac Adams, and we trust ever}' reader will join us in 
the hope and prayer and sympathy and substantial help 
that the wa}^ may soon be open for his return as a mis- 
sionary of the cross and enter the work which he has 

already beg-un. 

Prof. G. K. Hemkes, 

Rector of the Christian Reformed Theological School. 

Grand Rapids, Mich., U. S. A. 
April 4th, 1898. 



Dear Reader : 

I cannot beg-in to write a narrative of the facts con- 
nected with the history of my life, without g-iving- all 
g-lory and praise to the most precious God, who has so 
wonderfully g-uided me, during- the last ten years 
especially. No words like those of the Scriptures can 
adequately express my heart's g-ratitude for all the 
ways by which he has led me, and you, dear reader, will 
mag-nify him while reading- as I did while writing: this. 
Let" us exalt His name forever; let the Lord be mag-- 
nified, which taketh pleasure in the prosperity of His 
elect. Praise ye the Lord, for His name is excellent; 
His g-lory is above the heavens. I have been deeply 
tried; yes, the Lord is with the rig:hteous; "Lo, I am 
with you." Surely He has been with me ; His presence 
has g-one before me and has g-iven me streng-th and cour- 
ag-e. He faileth not. I have heard his voice saying-, 
"Fear not, I will help thee." And He has done so; yea, 
in the deepest waters; in all places His hand has led me 
and He has kept me. With David I can say, "God is my 
salvation." I will trust and not be afraid. I cried by 
reason of my affliction unto the Lord, and he answered 
me. The Lord stood by me and streng-thened me, say- 
ing- : "My streng-th is made perfect in weakness." 

From many dang-erous snares hath the Lord pre- 
served me ; in spite of all my inward rebellion. He hath 
carried on his g-ood work in my heart, and notwith- 
standing- all my unbelieving- fears he hath g-iven me a 



hope full of immortality. He hath set my feet upon a 
rock and established my g-oing-s and hath put a new song- 
into my mouth ; even praises unto my God. 

The same grace and forbearance, the same wisdom 
and power that have broug-ht me so far, will bring me 
on, though it be through fire and water, to a goodly 
heritage. I see no business in life but the work of 
Christ, neither do I desire any employment to all etern- 
ity but His service, and it is my prayer to Him, in whose 
hands the hearts of all men are like the rivers of water, 
that He might put into the hearts of those who love 
Him and His cause to enable me to continue in His ser- 
vice by bringing the knowledge of the only Redeemer 
Jesus Christ to the great multitude who know Him not. 



PERSONAL HISTORY. 



1WAS born in the northwestern part of Persia, on the 
twenty-eig-hth day of November, 1872, at Sang-ar, a 
village about two hours walk from Oroomiah city. The 
village contained about twenty-five Nestorian families, 
and as many houses. The surrounding- villages were 
all Mohammedan, some of them lying not more than 
half an hour's distance away from Sangar. Thus the 
people in my village-home have had all their intercourse 
with Mohammedans, and in consequence had lost all 
knowledge of Christianity and had adopted instead Mo- 
hammedan customs as well as their language, the na- 
tional language of the Nestorians being Syriac, which 
is widel}^ different from that of the Mohammadans. To- 
gether with the customs and language, the people of my 
home-village had also adopted all kinds of profanity. 
The keeping of the Sabbath day was entirely lost. 
People would plow and do other work in the field just 
as on any other day. 

Another very bad habit of the people at Sangar was 
the beating of their wives. It is quite common there to 
see a woman's head bruised and her clothing torn. Thus 
I was brought up, among ignorant and ill-influenced 
people. 

When about 6 years of age, my father and two other 
persons went to Russia for the trading business. They 
had but one passport for the three of them. After hav- 
ing remained in Russia for a short time, one of the men 



_9_ 



was oblig-ed to return to Persia, he having- been advised 
of sickness in his family. After some time, m}^ father 
and his companion were to go on to another city in 
Russia. Upon entering* the g-ates they were taken pris- 
oners, the officer claiming- that in the passport three 
men were mentioned, and they were but two. All ex- 
planation on the part of the travelers was unheeded, and 
their case was finally ended by sending- them both to 
Siberia for life, and in all probability they are alread}' 
dead, as we have never heard of them since. 

It was extremely sad for my poor mother to have 
been left with five children, all below 12 years of ag-e ; 
but this was not all. The lord of the villag-e came with 
some forged notes, claiming that my father owed him 
money and demanding pay. As my mother had nothing 
to pay with, he took possession of the land we owned 
and a part of our vineyard. 

My task in early boyhood was to do little chores at 
home and herd cattle. Like most bo3^s, I delighted in 
climbing trees, but once it happened that I fell from the 
top of a tree and broke my arm. Blood was gushing 
from my nose and ears, and I was carried home. The 
house was soon crowded with people, who decided to 
make bread and Martooha and give it as a sacrifice to 
the poor. 

The Martooha is a mixture of flour, molasses and 
butter, and is received by those among whom it is dis- 
tributed as an offering, with the greeting: "May God 
restore him to health." 

But this was not all. My mother had also secretly, 
but solemnly, vowed that she would, in case of my 
recovery, have a lamb sacrificed to Mar-Obdishoo, a 
Nestorian saint, at the church built to his memory. 
When I was quite recovered, therefore, my mother, a 
number of friends and I, with a lamb, repaired to Mar- * 
Obdishoo. The lamb was slain in the church-yard and 



—10— 



its blood sprinkled on the altar of the church and in my 
face, while a number of little bells were rung- in the 
church. I was then ordered to take the bells, and, ring-- 
ing- them, cry out: " O, Mar-Obdishoo, Mar-Obdishoo, 
I thank 3^ou that you have let me reg-ain my health ! " 

The lamb was hereupon taken to a dwelling- and 
boiled, and the meat g-iven to those in attendance ; the 
head and skin, however, tog-ether with a small quantity 
of meat, belong-ed to the janitor as his fee. Some of the 
meat was also taken back to Sang-ar, upon our return, 
to be distributed there. I was not allowed one morsel 
of it. 

When about 13 years of ag-e, a buffalo out of the 
herd of cattle I was watching-, ran among- some heaps of 
cut wheat in a field where farmers were threshing-. In 
doing- so, the buffalo broke the Dach, or sig-n, which the 
lord of the villag-e had set upon the heaps of wheat. 
Upon perceiving- this, the lord called me to him in a 
very friendly manner, holding- out to me a very beauti- 
ful cane and promising- me the cane if I came. I did so, 
thoug-h hesitating-ly. Suddenly I was rudely seized by 
some servants who held me firmh% while others sub- 
jected me to an application of the bastinado, so cruelly, 
that both m}^ feet bled profusely and I was not able to 
walk for about two months. 

After this sad experience I left the villag-e clan- 
destinel}^ and repaired to Wazerawa, where m}^ aunt and 
all the relatives of my mother lived. M}^ aunt received 
me g-ladly, and, having- lost a child of about my ag-e, 
bade me remain with her and would not hear of my 
leaving-. After I had been with her for about one year 
the rest of our family followed to Wazerawa. 

At Sang^ar we had owned an orchard near the dwell- 
ing- where we lived. It had been my delig-ht to climb 
into the fruit trees and eat fruit to m}- heart's content. 
Near my aunt's dwelling-, at Wazerawa, there also was 



-11— 



an orchard, but it belong-ed to a neig-hbor. This differ- 
ence in ownership, however, made very little difference 
to me, and I tried to continue my orchard practice here 
also. Of course, I well knew that I deserved punishment 
for climbing- into a neig-hbor's tree and appropriating- 
some of the fruit, consequently I did my tree-climbing- 
after dark, in the evening-. One dark nig-ht, as I sat in 
the very top of a fine apple tree, feeling- quite secure 
from detection, I suddenly heard a voice below me call- 
ing-out : "What are you doing- up there?" I replied 
that I had been late for supper, for which my uncle 
would whip me. I had, therefore, tried to hide from 
him. He ordered me to come down, but my pockets 
were filled with apples from the tree, and so I hesitated, 
pondering- how to escape the well-deserved punishment. 

Finally I told the neig-hbor I would come down if he 
would promise not to chastise me. He did so; and I 
came down, delivered up my stolen apples and went home. 

My uncle now beg-an to employ me by sending- me 
out to his vineyard to watch it. I had very g-ood times 
doin^ this, as I was very liberal. I would stand out in 
the road and ask people passing- by to come in and help 
themselves to some g-rapes, and quite often I pressed my 
request so urg-ently as to almost compel people to come 
in and eat grapes. Occasionally I would fill a basket 
with g-rapes and hand out some to every person who 
happened to pass by. My motive in doing- this was that 
I considered it an injustice that I alone should have so 
many fine g-rapes, while so many others had none. The 
principal reason for my liberality, however, was my 
sociability. I liked to be in company with other human 
being-s and hated seclusion. The neig-hbors surrounding- 
my uncle's vineyard were all Mohammedans with whom 
I dared not communicate, and I, therefore, soug-ht, by 
being- liberal, to enjoy the company of, and intercourse 
with, fellow-being-s such as I myself was. 

-12— 



The vineyard was a very quiet, secluded spot, and I 
could not even force myself into liking- it. When my 
mother and the rest of the family moved to Wazerawa, I 
consequently left my uncle's and joined a number of 
other young- lads in taking- care of herds of cattle and 
flocks of sheep. 

While being thus occupied one day, a boy, Benyamin 
Bar Younan by name, a relative to Kasha Sayad, a 
native preacher, employed by the Presbyterian mission 
in Persia, met me. He remained with me for some 
time, repeating- to me stories from the Bible, among- 
others the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. When 
he had left ine I could not help but think over and 
over ag-ain what I had heard. A few days later we 
met a second time. I addressed him with this question : 
"Suppose a man should like to g-o to heaven, what must 
he do?" He replied : "He must not eat or drink an}^- 
thing- for three da3-s, but keep on in prayer all this 
time, and then be good and do g-ood afterwards. 
"Then," said I, "the people must be very foolish not to 
prefer to be like Lazarus in this life, when heaven and 
its blessedness last forever." I then asked where he 
had found those stories, and what other knowledg-e he 
had of heaven. He told me it was all written in a book 
called Bible, which he claimed to be a very holy book, 
even called it God's book ; but also told me that, if I 
wished to learn more about these things, I should have 
to g-o and see his uncle, Kasha Sayad. I followed this 
advice, for I was eag-er to learn more, and to Kasha 
Sa3^ad I am g-reatly indebted for what knowledge I 
received by my early acquaintance with him. Through 
his influence I was enabled to attend the missionary 
school, where my hungry and thirsty soul was fed on the 
precious word ot God. Reading- my Testament, and not 
being- able to comprehend very much of it at first, I would 
kneel down and pray to God, and say: "O Lord, if 

-13- 



Thou art God, make Thyself manifest and show me 
also myself." Then ag-ain at times it seemed almost 
impossible to me to trust fully in an invisible God. 

Upon entering- the mission school I encountered the 
enmity and hatred of my relatives, who were all dissat- 
isfied with this step; but, by the g-race of God and 
throug-h the kindness of Kasha Sayad, I was enabled to 
attend also the high school at Oroomiah City, a Presby- 
terian institute. 

Here I attended until the winter of 1887, when I was 
requested by Kasha Peria, a native missionary, who 
had been educated at Hermansburg-, Germany, and 
received his support from there, to g-o and teach one of 
his schools at Satlovi. I took charg-e of a school of 
about twenty-five children, and found the work very 
interesting-, especially as I visited the children's parents 
in the evening-s, and, to their g-reat delig-ht, read to 
them from the Bible. I did not try to g-ive any explana- 
tions, but simply read from ten to fifteen consecutive 
chapters. On Saturdays I went to the neig-hboring- vil- 
lag-es with my Bible, read from it to the people and con- 
versed with them on the Christian relig-ion and Christ's 
love to sinners. Returning- from such work towards 
evening- one Saturday, I met a Mohammedan and passed 
without saluting- him. He stopped me, and roug-hly 
inquired why I had not g-reeted him. I told him I had 
neg-lected the courtesy because I did not know in what 
lang-uag-e to address him. To explain this, I must 
inform the reader that not all Mohammedans speak the 
same lang-uag-e. It is also dang-erous to address Moham- 
medans, as I had found by the following experience 
which I had had some time previous : I had met two 
Mohammedans on my way and saluted them both in a 
friendly manner. Presently there came a Christian. I 
stopped immediately and spoke to him. Upon perceiv- 
ing this the two Mohammedans quickly returned, 

-14- 



stopped me, and, one placing- himself on my rig-ht side, 
the other on the left, each dag-g-er in hand, they said 
they would immediately kill me if I did not at once 
return their salutation. I complied with their request 
so eag-erly that I bowed three times to their once. In 
this instance the Mohammedan was not satisfied, but 
insisted that I had failed to g-reet him throug-h disre- 
spect and threatened also to kill me, accompanying- this 
threat by a drawn dag-g-er, the point of which he pressed 
to my breast so hard that I even felt the point penetrat- 
ing my skin. But at that moment we saw a caravan 
approaching-, whereupon the Mohammedan withdrew 
his dagg-er and contemptuously said that he had only 
tried to scare me. 

I was so excited that I could not speak for four or 
five hours, was taken to a village near by and remained 
there until Monday ; then I returned and continued my 
work.* 

In the summer of 1887 I entered Oroomiah College 
Mission School, in connection with which there is also 
an industrial school. At the latter, carpenter's work, 
shoemaking and hatmaking were taught. I, in connec- 
tion with my other studies, entered the shoemaking de- 
partment, and under the direction of Oosta Ayraham 
learned that trade. After a few weeks, during which 
Mr. Ayraham had become acquainted with me and m}- 
circumstances, he took more pains with me than with 
any other of his pupils, so that in the examination at 
the end of the term I made a good showing. 

The college term ended in July ; this permitted me 
to devote all my time to my trade in the industrial 
school. In the fall of 1888, Mr. Ayraham left his posi- 
tion. A Mohammedan took his place. During the 



♦This Mohammedan's name was Samat of Baranduz. Before my encounter with 
him he had alreadj- killed not less than sixty persons. He was about 40 years of age 
and was later on killed by other robbers. 

—15- 



4i 

vacancy the school was left m m}^ charg-e. I had posses^^ 
sion of the ke3^s, and the whole property was in m}' care. 
The new teacher g-ave no satisfaction ; he appeared to 
be dishonest, and was soon discharg-ed. I then ag-ain 
filled the position until another teacher could be found. 

After the closing- of the colleg-e term, I kept the in- 
dustrial school in operation. I was in charg-e of from 
ten to fifteen boys, and the work prog-ressed nicely in 
the interest of the mission. During- this time I was 
also elected elder in the church at Wazerawa, and while 
at colleg-e I spent every Sunday at Wazerawa and Dizza, 
teaching- Sunday school. I was also robbed several 
times and had several dang-erous encounters with hig-h- 
waymen, one of which has left me a scar on my rig-ht 
eye to this day. 

In the spring- of 1889, I was sent by the missionaries 
to teach a school at Ardishai. I had here forty pupils 
on an average, coming- from about six different villages. 
The instruction was to be given in four different lan- 
guages, viz: Persian, Turkish, Chaldean and Syriac. 
But I must confess I was rather severe in my treatment 
with the pupils. I generally kept about a half dozen 
switches in the school-room, and it was not at all un- 
common for me to whip children until they bled. I 
kept all doors and windows closed, to stifle the screams 
of the poor children while being chastised, but the boys 
nevertheless managed to make themselves be heard for 
about two blocks. I thought then that I had to do this, 
since the parents in place of administering the proper 
punishment at home, would come and tell me that their 
children had sinned and entreated me to punish them 
for it. 

One day as I rang the bell, it appeared to me the 
pupils had made up their minds to have their own way 
about coming. The rule was that, upon hearing the 
bell ring, every pupil should drop everything and com^ 

-J6- 




ISAAC ADAMS, DAVID ADAMS, ABRAHAM ADAMS, 

In HighK:lass Costume. In Mohammodaxi Priest In Kurdish Costume. 

Costume. 

JACOB ADAMS, 
In Common Persian Costume. 




PAUL JOHM. (Pag-e33.*) 



rig-ht into the school-room and quietly take his seat. I 
said nothing-, but waited. When they came in, about 
fiv^e minutes later, I shut all doors and windows and or- 
dered them to stand side by side with their backs ag^ainst 
the wall. I then took a switch, rushed around the room 
and struck them ag-ain and ag-ain across their bare leg's 
and feet (their shoes and slippers always were left stand- 
ing- out in the hall). Soon leg's and feet beg^an to bleed, 
and of course they screamed piteously. But this I would 
not have. To stop it I struck some of them, who had 
fallen to the floor, across their backs, and threatened to 
treat them all in the same manner if they did not imme- 
diatel}'^ cease their noise. By this outrag^e I soon had 
the room quieted, and the pupils were always on time 
afterwards. This, however, was not the only mode of 
punishment. Sometimes I would order the tallest bo}^ 
in the room to take the boy who was to be chastised, on 
his back, holding- him b}' his hands, and then bend over 
to keep his feet from the g-round. I would then take my 
switch and lash the boy across his leg-s and back. Still 
another severe chastisement is to have the pupil fold 
his arms tig-htly and then sit down upon the floor. A 
stick is now passed through under his arms in front of 
his body, his leg's then are lifted over the stick and he is 
thus left in a helpless position, so that the teacher may 
strike him wherever he pleases. Occasionally I was 
afraid inwardly of some of the boys, as they were older 
and taller than I was, but somehow I overcame the sen- 
sation, and never had any trouble in this direction. I 
was not the orig-inator or inventor of any of these cruel 
modes of punishment. I had m^'self learned them by 
seeing- them practiced, and many times at the hig-h- 
school I myself had been ordered to hold a boy across 
my back, being- somewhat taller and stronger than some 
of the rest. 



—17— 



But now I have a different way of administering* pun- 
ishment in my schools ; not with a switch, but with love 
and kindness, and I think I can accomplish more with 
kind words and acts than with the rod. This is one of 
the chang-es I have experienced since having- come to 
America. 

Besides teaching- languages, I also gave instruction 
from the Bible, in arithmetic and geography. I also 
visited the parents of the pupils, together with the 
minister of the village, and on Sabbath day I had a 
large class of ladies in the Sunday school. 

I would also pay visits to other villages and preach 
to them in a very simple manner, only repeating to the 
people the story of the cross. While engaged in this 
manner one day, I read in my Bible the 12th chapter of 
Genesis. This gave me much thought, especially the 
passage where the Lord said to Abraham, " Get thee out 
of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy 
father's house into a land that I will show thee." My 
strain of thought on this matter ran in this channel : 
"If Abraham obeyed this command of the Lord, and I 
am now worshipping the same Lord as Abraham then 
was, why should I not follow his example, now reading- 
the same command?" 

I consulted Kasha Say ad, and informed him of my 
intention to go somewhere where I could prepare for 
Christian work. His opinion was, that it would not be 
a wise step for me to take, and bade me go to a mission- 
ary and lay the matter before him. I did so, and the 
missionary gave me many reasons why I should abandon 
such thoughts ; but I was determined to rather listen to 
God's promises than man's advices and go, whither he 
should direct me. 

In July, 1889, I left Oroomiah with not more than 
what amounts to five dollars in the United States, and 
not knowing where I should finally land. I traveled 



—18- 



westward, but it was a long- and tedious journey. As I 
had no means to hire a horse or mule I was oblig^ed to 
walk, and for the sake of convenience I often traveled 
during- the night, it being- then much cooler. 

After nineteen da3's of traveling-, I reached the first 
railway in the Caucasus in Russia. I reached the first 
railway station at Akistaf a. From here I was g-iven free 
transportation to Tiflis. There some Christians helped 
me on to Valadikokas. After having- arrived at this 
place I tried to work and g-o to school, but after a few 
weeks they urg-ed me to g-o to Berlin, as they thoug-ht I 
might there succeed better in both. After seven or 
eight days travel I reached the boundary line of Russia. 
Here I bought a ticket to Berlin, while my passport was 
in the office for examination. Soon I was informed that 
I could not leave Russia, as my passport was defective. 
I was imprisoned for three da3's without food or drink, 
after which time I was ordered to telegraph to St. 
Petersburg for a permit to leave the country. I did so, 
and was obliged to pay an exorbitant sum for the dis- 
patch. But no answer came from St. Petersburg. I was 
now informed that I would be sent to Siberia. It seemed 
a little hard to me at first, but thinking of the errand 
upon which I had set out on my journey, I concluded 
that the Lord wanted me there, if he would allow me to 
be sent there. I consequently told the officers that I 
was ready and willing to go. The officers obviously 
knew not what to make of this, for they stared at me as 
though they considered me a lunatic. They wished to 
know wh}' I was so ready and willing to go to such a 
dismal country as Siberia. I told them that if my Lord 
and God desired me to go there, I certainly was most 
willing to go, as I sincerely believed that he was in Si- 
beria as well as in Berlin ; that years ago my father had 
been sent there without cause, and I might perchance 



-19— 



meet him there. When they saw I cared so little 
whither I went, they even helped me on to Berlin. 

Here I was in Berlin, the g-reat German capital, not 
being- able to speak or even understand a word of the 
lang-uag-e. But throug-h God's kind providence I en- 
countered a 3^oung- man who was able to speak five or 
six different lang-uages, namely, Turkish, Syriac, Ger- 
man, etc. He g-rew very friendly to me, took me to his 
room, provided me with a good place to live, and for 
several days showed me the sig-hts in the city. He inci- 
dentally spoke of me to a friend who became so inter- 
ested as to express a desire to see me. We consequently 
took supper at the house of this friend, Mr. L. H. O. 
Schmidt, west 62 Maasrein Strasse No. 31 Pa. Berlin, 
one evening-, and by means of an interpreter I made this 
g-entleman acquainted with my whole history. Mr. 
Schmidt, perhaps noticing a sad expression which had 
perchance overspread my countenance, bade me be of 
good cheer, for the Lord would certainly guide me and. 
provide for me. To encourage me still more, he asked 
me to sit between himself and Mrs. Schmidt, as that, he 
thought, would make me feel more at home with them. 

When we arose to take our departure from this hos- 
pitable house, Mr. Schmidt requested us to linger a few 
moments longer, and left the room. A few moments 
later he re-entered, and handed over to me a sum of 
money sufficient to go from Berlin to New York, at the 
same time remarking that he were quite certain, even if 
I remained in Berlin at present, I would certainly desire 
to see America in a few years hence, and so in his opin- 
ion it would be much better for me and my cause to go 
there at once. He also handed me a letter to a minister 
at Hamburg, by which I was introduced, and he re- 
quested to receive me and attend for me to all necessary 
requisites for a passage to New York City. 



—20- 



I left Berlin and reached Hamburg- at about 11 o'clock 
p. m. Not being' able to explain to anyonfe where I wished 
to g"o, I set out on a search for the dwelling- of the min- 
ister to whom my letter of introduction was addressed. 
I found the place at last, but the valet insisted upon 
seeingf my letter before he would allow me to g-o into 
his house, fearing- probably that I mig-ht be some thief 
or robber trying- to g-et admission. I, however, refused 
to have my letter examined, as I mistrusted its being- 
returned to me. There was nothing- left for me to do 
but to g-o back to the depot. Here I found every door 
locked and all the lig'hts exting-uished, and set out to 
walk the streets until morning-. But even in this I was 
disturbed by patrolmen, who would not allow it. At last 
I found a place where there was a cavity under the side- 
walk, next to a basement window. I crept into this hole, 
and doubling- up as well as I could soon fell asleep. 
When I awoke I was so stiff and numb, from the chilly 
air and my inconvenient position, I could scarcely move. 
I got up and out and ran along- the streets to g-et warm. 
After finding- that the blood in my body was once more 
circulating- freely, I returned to my hiding- place and 
slept until daylig-ht. I now returned to the minister's 
dwelling-, and he himself answering my rap at the door, 
I handed him my letter. He was greatly surprised at 
seeing me and learning who I was, and said that he had 
been aware of my coming, but had not expected that I 
would arrive on that train. He kindly ushered me into 
the house, however, and after having* washed, arranged 
my toilet and breakfasted, he went with me to the 
steamer that was to take me to New York City. After 
procuring tickets we learned that the steamer would 
not leave until two days later. I remained with the 
reverend gentleman these two days, he proving very 
kind and generous to me. Our conversations, however, 
were very limited, as it had to be carried on entirely by 

-21- 



making- use of the natural lang-uag-e — motions, signs, 
groans, expressions of the face, etc. 

After two days, I boarded an ocean steamer for New 
York City. On the first and second day of the voyage 
the weather was fine and the sea tranquil and calm ; but 
soon it became rough and I had an experience such as I 
had never heard of before — I grew sea-sick. During my 
misery I sometimes really took it for granted that all 
good Christian people had done for me ever since I had 
left home had been done merely for the purpose of 
severely punishing me for having been too bold and for- 
ward, and I asked the Lord in prayer to grant that the 
ship might capsize and sink, and so all my suffering be 
ended. 

During our ocean voyage all passengers on board of 
the steamer were vaccinated. When my turn came I 
had hidden away, thinking my arm was to be cut off. 
I was compelled, however, to come forward and allow 
the operation to be performed on me, whereupon I 
found that it was not so bad after all. 

Eighteen days after having gone aboard the steamer 
we arrived in New York City. In Castle Garden we 
were asked to show our money, there being a law that 
every person must have at least twenty-five dollars, to 
live on until able to find work, should he wish to enter 
the country ; the company was obliged to take back any 
passenger who did not possess that amount. When my 
turn came to go through the gate, just when prepared 
to show the money I had (amounting to about twenty- 
eight cents), the officer was handed a letter by a boy. 
He stepped just a little to one side to quickly peruse the 
letter, but in the mean time I opened the gate and 
passed through unnoticed, and was soon lost in the 
crowd to any searching eye. I walked into the park and 
sat down. While looking around I suddenly espied a 
black man not far off. This was a great curiosity to me 



who had never before seen colored people. I felt very 
much inclined to step nearer so as to g-et a better view 
of the man, but I dared not. Upon noticing- man}' 
people passing- by him without scarcely taking- any 
notice of him, I also took heart and approached the 
black man. Seeing- that his face, neck and arms were 
all black, I cocluded that this could not possibly be a 
human being*. Since then I have met many neg-roes, 
have even lived among- them for a year in Virg-inia, and 
have learned to esteem some of them as thoroug-hly, 
consecrated Christians. 

Here I was once more all alone in a foreig-n country, 
without home, friends, acquaintances, or even means 
wherewith to support m3'self, almost utterly helpless, 
as I could not even make myself understood. For three 
days and nig-hts I walked the streets of the great 
metropolis with an empty stomach. Towards the close 
of the third day I found a morsel of bread in an ash 
barrel. I took it out, cleaned it as well as I could, and 
then soaked it in some water and ate it. Not long- after 
I also met a man who could understand oriental lan- 
g-uag-es. This man proved a great blessing- to me, for 
he had soon learned my situation. Feeling- compassion 
for me, he fed me and then took me to the "Home of 
Children's Aid Society," No. 247 Kast Forty-fourth 
Street, corner Second Avenue. 

The superintendent at the home, after hearing- the 
circumstances, was g-ladh' willing- to admit me for a few 
days and try to procure me some work, it being- against 
the rules of the institution to permanently admit per- 
sons of my age. In connection with this home there is 
also a brush shop where crippled boys are employed. 

I was directed there and soon set to work. The 
superintendent was pleased and wish to retain me, so I 
worked during the da}' and attended a night school in 
the evening, where I studied the English language. 

-23- 



Sometimes, when visitors came, they would be very 
much surprised to see me, a sturd}^ well-gTown young- 
fellow, working- among- crippled boys. This g^reatly 
irritated me, and, to avoid it, I walked lame whenever 
visitors caine in after that. 

But I could not remain in this place always. So I 
told the superintendent that I would rather work in the 
open air and not be confined so much within a building-. 
Thereupon he sent me to a farm in New Jersey. I was 
there about two weeks when I was taken ill and had to 
g-ive this up, the work being too hard for me as it con- 
sisted chiefly of chopping wood, it being in the midst of 
winter. In consequence of this experience I returned to 
my former occupation in the brush factory. 

One day a lady called upon the superintendent and 
asked him if he could not recommend some one to her as 
a waiter. I happened to be in the room just then and 
the superintendent pointed me out to her. The lady 
inquired whether I would be Avilling to accept the 
position. I cheerfully answered in the affirmative and 
immediately accompanied her to her home. I could now 
make myself understood in Knglish, somewhat, and the 
lady promised to give me further instruction, She was 
a sister to a phj^sician, Dr. J. H. Cooley, and resided at 
Plainfield, N. J. I was in her service for three months 
and was pleased with my work, which consisted in wait- 
ing at the table and helping in the kitchen. Dr. Cooley 
also had a sanitarium, where patients were housed and 
taken care of. I am much indebted to the doctor for 
kindness in treating me as pleasantly as he did. 
During my stay at Plainfield, N. J., I wrote to Rev. J. 
H. Shadd, the missionary, whose acquaintance I had 
made in Persia, and who, I had been informed, was 
now in the United States on a visit. I asked him in my 
letter to kindly recommend me to some Presbyterian 
Church, which I might join. In answer to my request 

-24- 



Rev. Dr. Ketcham, rector at the First Presbyterian 
Church at Plainfield, received the following-, to-wit : 

Marietta, O., April 3, 1890. 
Rev. Dr. Ketcham. 

Dear Brother : Yours of April 1 has just come. Yesterday 
I sent a letter to the young- man, which will g-ive you the needed 
recommendation, and trust he may find a home in your church. 
There is a strong- influence in New York to draw the 3'oung- Nes- 
torians to the Episcopalians and to the side of the Ritualist, who 
are at work in our mission field. 

This young- man has declined the strong- temptation to leave 
the church in which he was raised, and I am g"lad he has soug-ht 
you and your church, and trust you ma^' do him good. 

Yours ver}' truly, 

J. H. SHADD. 

Dr. Ketcham and his cong-reg-ation received me very 
cordially. 

After three months stay at Plainlield, I deemed it 
advisable to g-o to New York City, there to improve my 
education ; it being-, however, two months previous to 
the beginning- of a new term in any of the schools, I 
took recourse to Mr. Matthews, at that time superinten- 
dent of the ''Children's Aid Societ}^" for a place on a 
farm. A few days later another boy and I were sent to 
a farm in Orang-e county, New Jersey, with letters of 
recommendation for our introduction. We unhappily 
left the train at a station twelve miles this side of our 
place of destination. We did the best we could under 
the circumstances, however, stopped at the depot over 
nig-ht and started out afoot next morning-. Finall}^ we 
arrived at the place where my companion had to leave 
me, as he was to work on some other farm. We parted 
and I trotted on alone. Presently I met a man coming- 
towards me who inquired whither I was g-oing-. I showed 
him the address on my letter. He inquired further, 
what I intended to do there. After having- told him, he 
informed me that this farmer had moved away, but that 

—25- 



he had been looking- for some help, and I mig-ht come 
and work for him. I inquired about the hire, and he 
offered fifteen dollars per month. I asked whether or 
not any churches were in his neig-hborhood. He said 
there were plenty of those thing-s round about, where- 
upon I inquired into his religious views. He informed 
me of being- a Roman Catholic by birth and education, 
"but," said he, sneering-ly, "I have not been inside of a 
church for forty years." I hereupon offered to work for 
him for twelve dollars a month, provided he would not 
compel me to work on Sundays. He was satisfied, and 
I entered upon my duties. Later on I learned that the 
man I had been sent to, lived on the neig-hboring- farm, 
and was a very nice man ; not a very ugly fellow, as my 
present master had claimed at our first meeting. 

My occupation on this farm consisted in cutting grass 
and milking cows, of which the farmer owned forty-five 
heads. Kighteen of them I had to milk, which at first 
caused such a strain upon the knuckles of my hands 
and on my wrists that I would wake up at night from 
pain in those parts ; but I soon became accustomed to it, 
and then so much more enjoyed drinking my fill of the 
fresh milk, of which I was very fond. When once I had 
mentioned in a letter to my relatives at home that my 
work, among other things, consisted in milking cows, 
they wonderingly inquired in their next letter where in 
America the women might be and what they did, as in 
Persia all this kind of work is left to the w^omen to 
perform. 

For the first two weeks all went well with me on this 
farm. On Sunday I attended a Methodist Church. On 
the third Sunday, however, the farmer called me 
and ordered me to turn the crank on the grindstone for 
him, as he wished to sharpen his knife. I answered, 
"No, today is Sunday." Upon hearing this he cursed 



—20- 



me and said: "I would rather sit here and listen to the 
dog" barking- than hear that minister preach." 

At 4 o'clock in the morning- he would call me to g-et 
up and g-o to work, but after some time he said, "Ike, 
you must get up at 3 o'clock, as the neig-hbors are out 
at that time;" and to make g-ood his demand he would 
stamp on the steps of the stairway and pound the door, 
calling "Ike, Ike!" with an occasional curse intermin- 
gled, until he heard me move about. 

One da}' we were loading- hay in the field. My mas- 
ter was on the wagon, I stood upon the g-round and 
pitched the hay to him. He kept swearing and cursing 
at me, trying- to hurry me up. This provoked me, and 
I beg-an to throw ha}^ upon the wagon as fast as I could, 
without looking- where I threw it. In so doings it hap- 
pened that a pitchfork full of the hay, tog-ether with 
the points of the fork, struck him on the chest. At this 
he grew furious, jumped down from the wag-on to the 
g-round and tried to strike me, but I kept out of his 
reach. 

While eng-aged in scattering- hay upon a time, I 
came upon a heap in which there was a bee's nest. I 
noticed it in time, cautiously went by and left it un- 
touched. The farmer, however, coming- after me, but 
not seeing- the bees, scattered the hay about. Of course 
the bees were upon him in an instant, and stung- him all 
over his face and hands. This induced him to curse 
furiously at me again for not having warned him ; but 
I quietly remonstrated that the bees were stinging- him 
so for his wicked blaspheming, as I had passed those 
same bees and the}' had not molested me in the least. 

After the third week the farmer ordered me to leave, 
as he did not require my services any longer. I was 
willing to go, but demanded my pay. This he refused 
to give me until I threatened to go to law about it. 
Then he wished me to continue. I did so until the end 

—27- 



of the month, when he g-ave me twelve dollars and 
offered fifteen dollars for the following- month, but I had 
quite enoug-h of this and answered, "No, I would not 
work for you any longer for fifty dollars a month." I 
left him immediately and returned to New York City. 
In New York I went to Rev. A. G. Ruliffson, at 105 Kast 
Seventeenth Street, who was an intimate friend of Dr. 
Shadd, missionary in Persia, and who was at the head 
of an institution where ladies prepare themselves for 
missionary work. 

While stopping- here I was studying- the lang-uag-e, 
and at the same time doing- odd work around the prem- 
ises. Rev. Ruliffson wrote to the president of a colleg-e 
at River Plains, N. Y., and asked him if he could do 
something-, to help me g-et an education. The following- 
is his reply : 

River Plains, N. Y., Sept 15, 1895. 
Dear Bro. Rui^iffson : 

I have conferred with some of the good people here, and we 
have come to this conclusion with reference to Isaac Adams. We 
will try to educate him, g-etting- what help we can from various 
sources. We have some missionary money coming- in here, the 
Presbytery may help and his own church in Orang-e may help. 
We will keep him until January 1st next, anyhow, expecting- to 
keep him long-er, of course. 

We hope by that time that the way will be clear where the 
funds are to come from to keep him g-oing-. By that time the 
church will be well acquainted with him, which will help, no 
doubt. Have him come rig-ht on, and if all is well he will have a 
home with me as long- as he wants to g-o to a secondary school. If 
he takes the 4 p. m train, via Dutchess Junction, he will be here 
at 7:30. If he takes the 8 a. m. train, via Dutchess Junction, he 
will be here about noon. 

The sooner he gets here the better, as we began school last 
week. Fraternally yours, 

A MATTICE. 

Mr. B. W. Tice, superintendent of the West Side 
Boys' Lodg-ing- House of the Children's Aid Society, 
wrote a letter to Gen. Armstrong- for admission to the 

—28- 



Hampton Normal Institution, of which Gen. Armstrong- 
was principal, and the answer was favorable ; so there 
were two places open for me to attend school. 

But after considering- the matter, and also meeting- 
Gen. Armstrong-, I decided to g-o to Virg-inia. 

Here I worked in the morning-s at the tailor's trade, 
and in the afternoon and evening- I went to the ni^ht 
school, where I enjoyed my work and am much indebted 
to the teachers and all connected with the schools for 
their help and kindness shown tow^ards me. 

While here I received a letter from Kasha Sayad, of 
Persia, stating- that the house or church in which they 
were worshipping- was taken by the authorities and 
g-iven to the people who belong-ed to the Nestorian 
Church, and who did not belong- to the Evang-elical 
Church; and I translated the letter and sent it to the 
Presbyterian Foreig-n Mission Board, in New York, as 
Kasha Sayad had also requested me in that letter to do 
all I could for them in stating- the matter before such as 
loved the cause, and try to raise funds for erecting- a 
house of worship for them. 

I also wrote a letter to Mr. W. A. Shadd, a mission- 
ary who was at this time taking- his theological course 
at Princeton, and received the following- reply: 

14 Old Seminary, 
Princeton, N. J., January 21, 1891. 

Dear Friend : Your letter came yesterday. I was very 
g-lad to hear from you, and also that your interests in Persia 
and your native village is still active and earnest I am sure 
anything- you can do to raise funds for a new church in Waze- 
rawa will be very much appreciated. The need there is great 
and the people are very poor. The old church is not suited to 
gatherings for preaching services ; it is so damp and dark, and, 
besides, its possession by the Kvangelical party seems to involve 
them in endless litigation. 

A new church building would be a great advantage to the 
village. 

-29- 



I hope you are enjoying- your work and profiting much by it. 
Of course, if you get any money for the church building-, you will 
send it to the mission house in New York, or direct to the mis- 
sionaries in Oroomiah. 

Yours very truly, 

W. A. SHADD. 

Dr. Mitchell had also written to Mr. Sliadd, and had 
enclosed my letter. The following- was the repl}^ to 
Dr. Mitchell : 

Princeton, N. J., January 28, 1891. 

Dear Dr. Mitchei.i< : I received, this evening-, your note 
with the enclosures from Hampton, which I return with this. I 
thoug-ht that I had something-, in some of my letters, bearing- 
directly on this matter, but am unable to lay my hands on anj--- 
thing- now. However, I know that in the main the facts 
are as Pastor Sayad represents them. Pastor Sayad is the oldest 
of the Bvang-elical pastors, and is a man of very hig-h character. 
The cong-reg-ation is very poor, indeed, thoug-h quite larg-e. In 
the past they have worshiped in the old Nestorian village church 
and have done much to repair and improve it. The occupancy of 
the old church has several times been the occasion of troubles, 
both with the Neftorian Bishops, incited by the English mission- 
aries, and with the Persian authorities. A church building of 
their own would certainly be a great help to them, and, coming 
from a source outside the regular contribution to the Board, 
would be a very suitable object for aid, I should think. 

Yours respectfully, 

W. A. SHADD. 

So these circumstances led me to come to New York 
during- the summer vacation. I was cordially received 
by Dr. Mitchell. After the matter of the church was 
fully agreed upon the doctor wished me to stay, and 
said he would help me to g-c to another school, under 
his care. 

The following- is one of his recommendations : 

53 FiETH Avenue, 
New York, August 31, 1891. 

It gives me great pleasure to say that I have known Mr. 
Isaac Adams for several months, he having been introduced to 
me by his instructor at Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va., and 

—30— 



also, more fully, by our own Presbyterian missionaries in Oroo- 
miah, Persia. At Oroomiah Mr. Adams was a pupil in the mis- 
sion colleg"e and was known by the missionaries as a member 
and officer in the Evang-elical Church in that place. Mr. Adams 
is in this country with the intention of fitting himself, by study, 
for Christian labor among- his former co-religionists in Persia and 
Caucasus. He has been for a time a member of my own house- 
hold, studying also under my direction, and I have learned to 
confide in him as a Christian man, and to thoroughly respect him 
for the steadfastness of his purpose, his fidelity to his friends 
and benefactors, and his industry and ability. It is unusual for 
me to place letters like this in the hands of foreigners from our 
mission fields, as I feel that I am often but imperfectly 
acquainted with them, but in this case I have no hesitation in 
departing from my rule. It is my hope that Mr. Adams will 
fully succeed in securing the education he seeks, and will return 
to labor for Christ in Persia. 

ARTHUR MITCHELL, D. D. 
Secretary Presbyterian Board Foreign Missions. 

Then he sent me to Mr. Moody's school, at Chicag-o, 
where he paid my whole expense. 

The following- is a letter of Dr. Shadd which I 

received at Moody's school, in Chicago. 

Thk C01.1.EGE, 
Oroomiah, August 8, 1891. 
My Dear Brother : Your letters to me and Mrs. Shadd 
have been received with much pleasure, and I have intended to 
write you. Mrs. Shadd wrote you once. You will sorrow with 
us all in the death of the beloved Kasha Sayad. He entered 
into rest August 5th. He was as well as usual three weeks 
ago, but a disease attacked him (abscess of the liver) and he rap- 
idly failed in strength. He was glad to go and be with Christ. 
When too weak to speak aloud he whispered, "His grace is suf- 
ficient." The funeral was on Thursday, August 6th, attended by 
many people. Our fervent prayer was that the spirit of Kasha 
Sayad may rest upon the young men. May you have it in rich 
measure. As to the church building, you have consulted with 
my son William, at Princeton, and with Dr. Laborn. The 
expense needed is $500 or $600. If you can obtain this sum, and 
send it to the care of the missionaries, we will use it directly for 
Wazerawa church. It is very much needed, but not so much as 
900 tomans. 

—31 - 



I enclose a report of our Missionary Union. The g-reatest , 

need is the truly consecrated young- man to enter the gospel 

work. All for Christ and Christ for all is the motto of our 

Union. Would you like to join us and prepare to extend the 

blessed gospel of Christ to the great multitude who know him 

not ? I am very glad that you are at work at Hampton. May 

God bless you and help you to do great service in the cause of 

Christ. 

Yours very truly, 

J. H. SHEDD. 

I tried very hard to g-et the money for the building 
of the church by speaking- and lecturing-, but this was 
very difficult as I could not speak the lang-uag-e very 
plainly as yet, therefore, I left this matter entirely in 
the hands of Dr. Mitchell, to whom I am much indebted 
for his g-reat help in this matter. 

After this I tried to support myself and wrote to Dr. 
Mitchell about it. He said I could do so, but such 
expenses as I could not meet he would cover. But from 
1892 on I succeeded in paying- all my bills, but the doc- 
tor had spent several hundred dollars towards my sup- 
port. At one time I told him I wished to pay it back, 
but he said: "I have not done it for your, but for 
Christ's sake, and, therefore, I would always be g-lad to 
hear of your success." 

I also spent one year at the Garret Biblical Institute, 
at Evanston, 111. While here I met Mr. A. T. Wilkin- 
son, a fellow student from Brantford, Can., and who ever 
since has been an intimate friend. 

In the summer of 1892, he asked me to g-o with him 
and speak in churches in Canada, which I did, he arran- 
g-ing- the meeting-s for me. 

The Brantford Courier of August 15, 1892, reads 

thus: 

At the Wickliffe Hall last evening, Mr Isaac Adams, a native 
of Persia, gave a very interesting^ address. This address was 
Mr. Adams' last one in Canada, as he leaves for New York today, 
where he will stay one week and then proceed to Chicago. 

-32- 




ISAAC ADAMS. 






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Mr. Adams has been in Canada only forty-five days, and 
during- that time he has given forty-three lectures on Persia, its 
relig-ion, customs, etc. He expresses himself as hig-hly delig-hted 
with his visit in Brautford, and with the kind manner in which 
he has been entertained during his stay here. A number of Per- 
sian curiosities were exhibited and were fully described by Mr. 
Adams to all who wished to see them. 

While in this country I wrote to my home continually, 
and was g-lad to hear that my brothers were converted ; 
so I offered to pay their expenses to this country if 
they would prepare themselves for missionar}^ work, to 
which they consented. But owing to the cholera their 
journey was delayed for a while, but at last, in 1893, 
they succeeded in coming- to this country. Three of my 
brothers — Abraham, David and Jacob, tog-ether with a 
young man named Paul John, who was 13 years of age 
and who was brother-in-law to my brother, came to this 
country.* After I had remained here five 3^ears, and 
studied in diif erent institutions and lectured throughout 
the United States and Canada (see testimonials), and 
also saw my brothers admitted to different institutions, 
I deemed it necessary to go back to Persia and preach 
the Gospel to those whom I loved. 

"When at Patterson, N. J., where I had spoken on 
Sunday, I was on Monda}'^ introduced to two gentlemen 
from Kampen, Netherlands, who were taking a post- 
graduating- course at Princeton. These gentlemen were 
Messrs. Smidt and Wielenga. Our short travel from 
Paterson to New York was very pleasant, and Mr. G. 
Wielenga said that he did not know what it was to be a 
stranger in a strange country until after he came to 
America. Therefore he urged me to visit his parents 
and the school at Kampen, Netherlands, on my way to 
Persia. He also gave me a letter of introduction. 

During my five years stay in this country I had sold 
4,500 pictures of myself throughout the United States 
and Canada. 

Q -33- 



On my departure I had a draft for S900 with me and 
$100 in cash. I left New York November 7, 1894, on the 
steamer City of Paris for Southampton. 

I reached London November 14, and here I spent one 
day and went to the British Bible Society, etc. 

On November I7th I reached Kampen, Netherlands. 
I found my way to Professor Wielen^a's house, where I 
was cordially welcomed. I was requested to speak that 
very nig-ht to the students of the Theolog-ical Seminary. 
The following- letter will explain m}- short visit in the 
Netherlands. This letter was written b}^ Rev. B. Wiel- 
eng-a, a brother of G.Wieleng-a, to the public in America: 

While I am writing- these lines, our dear friend Adams has 
probably approached the Caucasus Mountains, and is nearer to his 
native country than to us. His coming and staying in our midst, 
and also his departure from us, has been as a passing- dream, but 
a dream that has left a refreshing influence. An influence not 
only felt at" my home, where he staid, but also by several churches 
in our country, and by thousands who heard his simple, touching 
words. 

His arrival was unexpected and therefore the more surprising. 
His agreeableness and sincerity, and the many cordial letters of 
introduction from several of our ministers, soon made him very 
intimate with us. And when, at the request of the faculty, he 
addressed us in the chapel of our school and told us of the dark 
night that prevails in Persia, and of his intention to bring it the 
light of the Gospel, then our hearts all beat with sympathy for 
him and his work. We admired his courage. At the close of his 
address we all gathered around him to press his hand and to wish 
him God-speed. Professor Bavinck in turn addressed him, and 
assured him of our support and intercession. I still imagine 
Brother Adams, dressed in his rich Persian costume, among us, 
as he gained our sympathy by his friendly smile and courtesy. 

At the request of the president. Dr. Bavinck, he again spoke 
to us on the manners and customs of his people. Mr. Adders 
translated the words and also succeeded in giving us the senti- 
ments of Mr. Adams. It was no surprise that the consistory of 
our congregation should allow him to speak in the church on Sun- 
day evening. 

The short sketch of his personal experiences, the vivid pre- 
sentation of the misery in which Persia has sunken, but especially 

-34- 



the words spoken on 2 Cor. 8:5, made a deep impression on the 
people, and assured us that there will be many prayers offered for 
Persia and the heathen world. During- the week Mr. Adams ag-ain 
spoke in one of our halls, where many of all classes and religious 
beliefs attentively listened to him. 

The remainder of the time the Persian missionary stayed with 
us, he visited the provinces of Holland and Zeeland, where he 
spoke in the principal cities. I would simply repeat the same 
thing" over ag"ain if I should follow him step by step, for every- 
where he received the same token of love and cordiality. Every- 
where open homes, open purses and open hearts. Mr. Adams has 
a rare tact of making- himself at home among- strang-ers ; by his 
artless manner he soon becomes intimate. Probably this is be- 
cause he has visited so many places in America, has been intro- 
duced in so various circles and been so heartily received by a 
multitude of friends. He is well accustomed to the platform and 
knows how to hold his audience. 

The fishermen of Schevening-en he addressed differently from 
the educated audiences of the capital and the plainer people of 
Maassluis from those of busy Rotterdam ; but the result was the 
same. Because I had many friends in the province of Holland, I 
had the privileg-e of accompanying- and introducing- Mr. Adams. 
******* Also among- our pastors his reception was 
hearty. Rev. Proosdy introduced him in Leiden and Rev. Donner, 
the missionary director, exhorted the cong-reg-ation to prayer. In 
the Hag-ue, Schevening-en, Maassluis, Rotterdam, Amsterdam 
and ZwoUe he was everywhere cheerfully introduced. In many 
other places larg-e crowds assembled to hear the Persian mission- 
ary. Many tears were shed and much compassion and sympathy 
expressed. 

On the 11th of December, I accompanied Mr. Adams to 
Zutfen, where he parted from us to g-o to Berlin in the evening-. 

Calm and courag-eous, in peaceful reliance on his God, he 
approached his difficult task. Althoug-h he was well aware that 
his life is threatened on every hand in his native country, trust- 
ing- on the Lord his God he beg-an his journey, knowing- that with 
Him he can press throug-h a band of robbers and jump over a 
wall. GladU' would we have had him remain with us still long-er. 
His stay was very short and everything- hurried. But — and this 
conviction we respect — the Persian people are in need of the 
Gospel ; their souls are in prison. He told us that if God spared 
him we mig-ht expect him in 1896, when he would return to Amer- 
ica in company with two or three of his cour trymen. We believe 

-35- 



that God is with Mr. Adams, and that through him He will 
glorify His name. 

I said Mr Adams varied his style to suit his audience, but I 
must add that it had everywhere the same tone of child-like 
reliance on God, of an honest, strong faith, and a deep conviction 
of his own weakness. 

His request that the Americans should pray for him will 
surely find a hearing. Many of our people are interceding for 
him, that is sure. 

Great treasures he did not receive from our poor people, but 
there were given him many mites like unto that offered by the 
widow of old. Several poor children brought their savings to 
him at our home, and many needy women took pleasure in giving 
a trifle to his work. Such gifts God will bless. 

May God spare the life of Mr. Adams and grant that his work 
be blessed ; may He use him for the coming of His kingdom and 
the glory of His name — then will our prayers be answered. 

My hearty salutation, 

B. WiElvENGA. 
Kampen, Dec. 17, '94. 

While in the Netherlands I received about $300 in 
collections and g-ifts. And also the Lord has g-iven me 
since many warm-hearted friends, and no words can 
express my gratitude to the friends and professors in 
the Netherlands. 

From the Netherlands I went to Berlin, Germany, 
where I was glad to meet my friend Mr. Schmidt, who had 
paid my fare from Berlin to New York in 1889. He was 
delighted to see me and to learn of my success, but the 
dif&culty was that I could not speak German and he 
could not speak English. So we had to find an inter- 
preter and we called on the American ambassador at Ber- 
lin, through whose kindness we were able to have a con- 
versation. At the same time I spoke about countersign- 
ing my passport, and, after the ambassador learned my 
name, he said, "It is a pity your name is Isaac Adams, 
as it sounds like a Jewish name, and no Jews are 
allowed to pass through Russia." He wrote me a special 
letter, and another man and Mr. Schmidt went with me 



to the Russian ambassador, and, at last, throug-h a g-ood 
deal of talking- and explanation, he countersig-ned my 
passport. 

The following- da^^Mr. Schmidt boug-ht m^- ticket 
from Berlin to Alexandrowa, and he also g-ave me some 
money. Then I took the train for Alexandrowa ; from 
there I bought my ticket to Valadikokas. 

One evening- I had to stop over in a villag-e to chang-e 
cars, but, as I had some money wath me, I did not wish 
to g-o to an}^ hotel, and I staid in the station, which was 
very larg-e and had all kinds of accommodations. At 
about 10 o'clock all was quiet and the lig-hts were out, 
and I fell asleep in a chair. As I awoke and saw 
nobody, I became afraid and tried to g-et out, but every 
door was locked. At about half past three in the morn- 
ing- I saw a man come who opened the doors and lig-hted 
the lamp, and then broug-ht in some imag-es and put 
them upon a platform. A crowd of men came in and 
bowed down before these imag-es and kissed them and 
went throug-h all kinds of ceremonies. All this time I 
was awake, but appeared to be sleeping-. After a while 
I also stood up, and they came and asked me why I did 
not bow before the imag-es and kiss the cross, etc. I 
told them I did not believe in it. Upon hearing- this 
they became very ang-ry and wanted to punish me, but 
very soon my train came and I went on to Valadikokas. 
Here I rested a few days and had the privileg-e of 
preaching- several times. At about 4 o'clock in the 
afternoon I saw a multitude of people passing- along- the 
street. I inquired what it meant, and was told that 
the}^ had an imag-e of Holy Mary and took it to the 
houses to bless the people. Some have to pay a large sum 
of money to have the imag-e broug-ht into the house as 
they are wicked and Holy Mary will not wish to be taken 
into these wicked houses ; therefore, they have to pay 
in order to be equal with the g-ood people, and in some 

—37— 



instances the men carrying the imag-e will pass "by the 
house and will say Mother Mary does not want to go 
into that house as the people are wicked. 

From here I started for Tifflis on a four days' jour- 
ney, but I took a much faster way, namely, I took 
a carriage from Tifflis, which was driven by fast 
mail horses and every two hours, or when we had 
passed over fifteen or twenty miles, the horses and 
driver would be changed. I made the journey, traveling 
day and night, in twenty-four hours. 

In Tifflis I also had the privileg"e of meeting some 
Nestorians, with whom I was glad to speak concerning 
their welfare and salvation through Jesus Christ ; and 
many people came to see me, some living thirty 
miles away, and they wanted me to stay and preach 
among them. Kven after being in America again I 
received letters from them asking me to come, saying 
they would get me the permission to do so from the 
government. 

I left Tifflis for Krivan. Here my passport was taken 
and countersigned, as in former cities. And here also 
I met two Mohammedan Sayids, who were returning to 
Persia, and we traveled together and spoke over many 
subjects, especially religion. On this journey from 
Krivan to Aras, the Persian frontier, we came across 
a number of corpses lying on the roadside, where the 
robbers had left them after plundering and killing 
them. But we were not molested as we traveled with mail 
horses and also the government mail and two soldiers. 

At last we reached the Persian frontier, where our 
passports were looked over and returned to us. Here 
the Sayids left me. 

While my passport was being examined in the gov- 
ernment office, I spoke in a very broken Persian lan- 
guage, so as to make them believe that I was a 
foreigner, as my passport showed me to be. 

—38— 



I asked the officers if the roads were dang-erous. 
They said they were, and I asked them to let me have a 
man to g-o with me. They replied that it was very 
dang-erous to travel with one man alone, and offered to 
g-ive me two men as an escort. So the two men traveled 
with me, and at the same time I met four Armenians 
who beg-g-ed leave to join us. I g-ladly complied with 
their request. The tirst nig-ht we stopped at a villag-e 
where nearly all the inhabitants were thieves and rob- 
bers. 

During- all this time I feig-ned to be a foreig-ner, and 
even the Armenians did not recog-nize me as being- a 
Persian. After supper I stepped out of doors and there 
overheard some men making- plans to kill the four Ar- 
menians ; but they were afraid to do so on my account, 
thinking- that I was a foreig-ner. During- that nig-ht I 
had a soldier on each side of me, resting- his g-un on my 
body and protecting- me in this manner, and the four 
Armenians were also very near to me. 

All went well, but a few thing-s were stolen, and in 
the morning- we continued our journey. Toward even- 
ing- of that day we came to a river, and while fording- it 
the two soldiers, who were supposed to protect me, 
pointed their g-uns at me and demanded money; at this 
I immediately g-rasped my two revolvers which I had 
with me and pointed them at the soldiers ; then they 
said they were only joking-, and I told them to walk on 
ahead, which they did. The revolvers I had with me 
were not loaded, but at the next station I loaded them. 

After two more days journey we reached Khoi, where 
the two soldiers left me. I now decided to travel with 
mail horses ag-ain ; that is, we chang-ed horses every two 
hours, and journeyed on more rapidly. 

But when I reached the next villag-e, I was so sore 
and stiff from constantly riding- horse-back that I de- 
cided to remain here for a few days and g-ive up 

—39— 



iiorse-back riding-, namely, this fast way of horse-back 
riding-. From here I teleg-raphed to Oroomiah and advised 
my friends of my coming-. After a few days, I hired some 
other horses and went slower. Prom this villag-e I left 
for Gavel an. 

In Gavelan I met my brother Joseph, with some friends 
and relatives who had come to meet me. So we, about 
forty in number, journeyed tog-ether and reached Oroo- 
miah on the following- day. I was g-lad to see many of 
my friends and acquaintances. But one of the saddest 
thing-s for me was the death of my mother, which had 
occurred during- my absence. But I hope and believe 
that she died a Christian death, as her last words were, 
"All my hopes are in Jesus." Thanks be to God for 
the blessed hope that we may meet ag-ain in the world 
of immortality. 

After a few days rest at home and waiting upon 
many callers, I started out to visit my friends and those 
who had visited me. 

As I went throug-h the city and the villages, I found 
that there was great need for the blessed Gospel. I 
conversed with the people and on Sunday I preached in 
different villages and at different houses. 

The people of Borashan, a neighboring village, came 
and asked me to establish a Christian school in their 
village. They also went to the lord of the village and 
asked his permission, and then presented me a list con- 
taining all the names of the inhabitants of the village, 
except one family. The lord said if this one famil}^ did 
not submit to this they would have to leave, and then 
they submitted and I established a school there. 

The Roman Catholics had about twenty-five years 
ago established there a mission, and of course they did 
not like to see me endeavoring to open a school right 
there. They tried all they could to knock me out and 
bribed the Persian authorities to destroy my work, but 



—40— 



all their attempts were in vain and today almost all the 
people are heartily rejoicing- in the progress of our g-ood 
work. I found also a very g-ood helper, who visited 
continually the people of Borashan and Sang-er, also 
Eriava, so I emplo^^ed him as a teacher and helper while 
I was visiting the other places; and finally I was able 
to find some helpers who had been educated somewhat 
by the Kng-lish and Presbyterian missionaries. When 
they came to me I gave them some Biblical instructions 
and then placed them at the head of some of these 
schools, and paid them a small salary. So the work 
continued nicely, and I spent my time visiting- the schools 
and encourag-ing- the teachers and expounding- the Word 
of God. 

All the expense of such a school, including- fuel, 
school books, room rent, teacher's salary, etc., will not 
exceed ten dollars a month. M}^ expense of each school 
has very seldom exceeded five dollars a month. 

Mar Shimmon, the civil and spiritual head of the 
Nestorians, resides in the village of Kochanues, in the 
mountains of Kurdistan. He is the spiritual overseer 
of all the Nestorian churches of Persia and Kurdistan. 
Once a year he sends one of his relatives to visit the 
churches of Oroomiah, for the purpose of receiving- the 
contributions of the brethren, and also to inquire as to 
the condition of the church itself, and any matters in 
question are laid before him by the bishop and priests. 
When I arrived at Oroomiah his step-brother was there, 
who became very friendly to me, but died within two 
months after. 

On May 29, 1895, I left Oroomiah. in order to pay a 
visit to the Patriarch, the object of which was to have 
an interview with him, in order to get his permission to 
work among- his people as all the other missionaries do. 
A second object was evangelistic work among- the 
Kurds and Nestorians. After two hours of riding- on 



the plain, we came to Aiihar, a villag-e in the moun- 
tains. Here we were told we would be killed b}- the 
Kurd robbers and murderers if we should continue our 
journey. We had now to decide what to do — to g-o on 
or return home. Finally, trusting- in the Lord, we de- 
cided to g-o on. For almost four hours we rode at a 
g-allop, fearing an attack by the Kurds. We arrived at 
Havana, however, where we spent the night. The next 
morning a discouraging report came that the roads were 
in a bad condition, and that several had been killed two 
days previous. Nevertheless, trusting- in the Lord, I 
continued with my servant, and- after a few hours jour- 
ney we reached the Turkish frontier. Here I was 
stopped and told I could not pass. With the aid of a 
little g-old, judiciously administered, I overcame this 
difficulty. 

I arrived at Marbeeshoo about 9 o'clock in the even- 
ing. This is a large Nestorian village, which contains 
a church 850 years old, built of very thick stones and 
having a very heavy stone door about three feet and six 
inches high. The next morning I continued on my 
journey and reached Dizza about 6 o'clock in the even- 
ing. Immediately after our arrival the police came and 
ordered me to give an account of myself. I showed him 
my American passport and told him where I intended 
to g-o. The police were not satisfied with this, how- 
ever, and after investigating- our bag-g-age, even our 
clothing, he took our passport and went to the Kaima- 
kam (the vice g-overnor). Afterwards a few Zaptiehs 
(constables) came to guide us to the city, and we were 
told that the Mutassarif, or governor, was telegraphed 
to about our arrival and we would have to wait there 
until an answer was received. The next morning- the 
reply came back from Valy Pasha, the ruler at Van, to 
detain the travelers until advice was obtained from 
Constantinople. Upon this the authorities at Dizza 



-42- 



placed me in confinement, under the charg-e of being- a 
spy sent out by the United States and also on my way 
to the Patriarch to stir him up against the Turkish 
g-overnment. The prison was kept g-uarded by two 
soldiers. Meantime, I was afraid they would put me to 
death, so I wrote a letter addressed to m}- brother in 
Oroomiah, in which I wrote the number of my passport 
and my citizenship paper, and asked him to teleg-raph 
the United States Ambassador at Teheran. This letter 
I g-ave to my servant, asking- him to bribe a man to 
carry this messag-e, and also telling- him to have him put 
the messag-e into a loaf of bread, of which he took several. 

I was in terrible torment every hour of the day. I 
was in mortal terror, and expected to be put to death at 
almost any minute. The messeng-er, after being- stopped 
and searched several times and forced to g-ive up all his 
bread but one precious loaf, which contained the mes- 
sag-e, at last delivered the messag-e to my brother. In 
the letter I made an ag-reement with the messeng-er 
that, if he succeeded in reaching- my brother in two 
days, he should receive a large sum of money. If it 
would take him three days he was to g-et less, and if 
four days, still less. Consequently, the messeng-er hur- 
ried and succeeded in delivering- the message in two 
days. M}^ brother had immediately telegraphed to the 
American Ambassador at Teheran. Various means 
were instituted to secure my release, through the 
good offices of the United States and the kindness 
of the English counsellor at Tabriz and at Van. The 
police at Dizza first denied that any such person was 
confined, but finding that the case had gained such 
publicity, and fearing trouble, they quietly released me. 
In the meantime, I was kept in prison. 

The following, clipped from the "Banner of Truth," 
a religious periodical published in the United States, 
has some bearing upon this matter : 



-43- 



[Sanner of Truth.] 
ISAAC ADAMS' ARREST. 

Mr. Isaac Adams, of Persia, who has g-iven us some outline 
of his work amongf his own people, was arrested while on a 
journey with his servant and thrown into prison bj^ the Governor 
of a Turkish province. Information of this was sent by Rev. M. 
Bagidararisian, a fellow missionary laboring- in Urmi, in the 
interest of the disciples of Christ. He expresses g-rave fears as 
to the fate of Mr. Adams and requests us to urg-e the United 
States Government to use its g-ood offices for his release. Our 
minister at Constantinople has communicated with the Turkish 
office of foreig-n affairs, and they disclaim and deny all knowledg-e 
of the arrest. But knowing- the bitter feeling- ag-ainst Chisti- 
anity, and especially ag-ainst native converts, we would call upon 
all concerned in the welfare of Christianity to carry this to the 
throne of g-race and pray God, who has all men's hearts in His 
hand, to deliver him from the mouth of the Turkish lion. 

The following is the copy of the communication from the 
State Department respecting it: 

Department oe State, 
Washington, July 16, 1895. 
Rev. John C. Voorhis, 

Hackensach, N. J. 
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 
12th inst., requesting the good offices of this department to secure 
the release of Rev. Isaac Adams, an American missionary, who 
is said to have been arrested by the Turkish authorities at 
Dizza Gavar. 

This case has already been acted upon by this department on 
a telegram from the United States Minister at Teheran. On 
June 11th our minister at Constantinople was telegraphed to 
protest against arrest and to demand prompt orders to local 
Governor for Mr. Adams' release. A telegram from Mr. Terrell, 
dated the 11th of the present month, states that he is informed 
by the Minister for Foreign Affairs that Mr. Adams has not been 
arrested at Dizza Gavar, and that he is not in the village of 
Kotchanues. I am, sir. Your obedient servant, 

Ai,VEY A. Adee, 

Acting Secretary. 

My servant, however, stood by me loyally and did 
me excellent service, by using- a careful scheme of send- 
ing- letters to my brother and the Patriarch, whose 

—44 _ 



residence was at Kochatiues. I, on the contrary, had 
given up all hope of living- any long-er ; day and night 
tears were in my eyes, and my cry was for the lost con- 
dition of ni}^ people. I was always praying- that the 
Lord might spare me for a few years more, that I might 
see my brothers take charge of my work. Through the 
grace and mercy of Christ I can say, I was ready to die 
any manner of death, in the faith of One who thus 
loved us and gave Himself to die even the death of the 
cross for us undone sinners. 

But what a joy it was to me when the doors of the 
prison were opened and I was once more freed from that 
awful torture (as they had received orders to let me go 
on), m}^ language fails me to describe. 

I started again next morning with my good servant 
and three Turkish soldiers on my way to the Patriarch. 
After a day's journey we came to Kermi, where there 
were only four Nestorian houses ; there we met sixteen 
Kurds sitting on a fiat roof, smoking pipes. When I 
passed by them I heard them say, "There is a man we 
will kill tonight and take his valuables." I went to a 
Nestorian house to spend the night. It being so hot, I 
wished to sleep on the roof, but they feared that those 
Kurds would come to kill me and advised me to remain 
indoors and hide, and I listened to their entreaties and 
went into a large square house, one side of which was a 
stable and the other side a hay and straw loft. In the 
other end of the building the people — about thirty in 
number, men and women — lived. They put me under 
the hay. For about two hours I was there, when I was 
nearly suffocated. I cried for mercy and they pulled 
me out from under the hay, and I told them if it was 
God's will that I should be killed, then I was ready to 
die. About a half-hour later I saw two Kurds approach, 
while I was trembling and shaking all over. I tried to 
appear pleasant when I saw them. The first thing- 

-45- 



tlie}^ told me after the}' kneeled down was, that they 
had come to kill me and take all my A^aluables. I told 
them that I was not afraid of dying", but I impressed 
npon their minds that my name and former case had 
g-ained such publicity that if they should kill me the 
Turkish authorities would be compelled by the United 
States Government to g-ive account of my whereabouts, 
and then the Sultan would send soldiers to massacre 
them and all their families in this community, and so 
they had better not do it. They decided so. They 
asked me for some sugar, as one of their number had 
fallen from his horse and broken his leg. I gave them 
some and they left me unhurt, but warned me that they 
were going- the same way with me next morning-. I 
could not sleep all nig-ht, and after having- set out for 
Kochanues next morning- we were soon overtaken by 
the Kurds of the previous ill acquaintance. We rode on 
together with them for a long while, until we arrived 
at a Adllag"e closed in on two sides by high mountains. 
Here the leader of the Kurds halted, drew his sword, 
and holding it across my neck threatened to sever my 
head from my body instantly, unless I gave him some 
money. I felt the sharp edg-e of the sword on my coat- 
collar, and had my horse taken but one more step at 
that moment, I have no doubt but I would have had my 
head cut off. I quickly ordered my servant to give him 
money, upon receiving- which he put back his sword and 
allowed me to ride on. Soon after this the Kurds left 
us, and five hours later we reached Kochanues. 

From a distance we noticed a multitude before the 
entrance to the Patriarch's residence, and upon drawing 
nearer we saw that there were at least 400 persons 
lingering there and smoking- pipes. On inquiring- into 
the cause of this gathering-, we were informed that all 
these people had come to condole with him on the 
decease of his step-brother. 

—46- 



The Patriarch was immediately advised of my 
arrival. He had telegraphed several times to the 
Turkish g-overnment about me, and had been expecting 
me for some time. Our horses were taken care of, a 
special room was given us and a servant ordered to 
entertain us and see that we were well provided for. I 
hastened to pay my respects to the Patriarch, and after 
having- been ushered into his presence kissed his hand, 
according to the general custom. He graciously 
motioned to me to be seated, whereupon he opened the 
conversation. Upon learning the purpose that had 
brought me hither, to work for the good of his people, 
• he was very much delighted. 

The sixteen Kurds who had given us so much trouble 
on our way to the Patriarch had also arrived by this 
time. I had advised the Patriarch of what had hap- 
pened on the way, and after having come in and paid 
their respects to him, he ordered them in a stern tone to 
go to the office. Here their fire-arms were taken from 
them and they were informed that they would all be 
punished for their evil conduct. But quite a large 
number of Nestorians approached the Patriarch and 
interceded in behalf of the Kurds, and these latter 
kneeled down, kissed the mat upon which the Patriarch 
rested and apologized for what they had done. When 
night came they were ordered to go to a neighboring 
house for lodgings ; but they unanimously cried out 
they would not leave the Patriarch's roof, for fear of all 
being killed by the Nestorians. Upon this thej were 
allowed to remain, and shown into a separate apart- 
ment, where they all passed the night together. Their 
object in visiting the Patriarch was to have a blood- 
price established for the slaying of the wife of one of 
their number, who had been killed in a combat between 
Kurds and Nestorians. The sad affair heid been brought 
about as follows: 

-47- 



Younan Bar Malekkambar, a young- Nestorian, was 
married and his bride was being" carried by the bridal 
procession, when suddenly a party of Kurds came in 
upon them and demanded some money. In place of 
complying- with their request the Nestorians assumed a 
defiant attitude ; a quarrel ensued, and finally some one 
opened fire. Kurdish women are known always to take 
a prominent part in an action of this nature, and so it 
was also in this case. Many on both sides of the com- 
bating- parties were wounded and one Kurdish woman 
was killed. For the death of this woman, these sixteen 
Kurds soug-ht redress, and demanded of the Patriarch 
the privileg-e of putting- to death Younan Bar Malek- 
kambar, whom they pointed out as having- been the 
orig-inator of the whole affair. The Patriarch, how- 
ever, refused to deliver Younan Bar Malekkambar into 
their hands, but offered a ransom consisting- of sixty 
silver mag-diah, two pieces of musketry, four mules and 
fifty sheep. This ransom was not considered sufficient 
by the Kurds, and they left dissatisfied. 

In the year 1896, the Nestorian bishop, Mar Gabriel, 
of Oroomiah, several other prominent Nestorian clerg-j^- 
men, with their servants (among- whom were a number 
of my best helpers, and Younan Bar Malekkambar), visited 
the Nestorian Patriarch. On their way home they 
were attacked by the Kurds and massacred ; Younan Bar 
Malekkambar's body was hacked to pieces and the pieces 
scattered in all directions. Thus they aveng-ed the 
death of that woman, as they always will take reveng-e 
for the violent death of any one of their number, and 
should it take them fifty years to do it. 

One hundred persons, more or less, are g-uests of the 
Patriarch every day. Kach is kindly received, housed 
and entertained, and his horses or mules stabled and 
cared for. Sheep and fowls are being- continually 
slaughtered to provide for the table, as four or fiv^ 



'9. 



3 






1. '• 



y^A4'i 





ISAAC ADAMS. 



JACOB ADAMS. AP.RAHA.M ADAMS. 

DAVID ADAMS. 




M 









bD.2 



TO tC 
rod 



Pi B 
J3 PJ 



o 

B 



sheep are being- daily consumed. Mules are incessantly 
traveling" to and from Musol, Dizza and Oroomiah for 
provisions, bring-ing- flour and sug-ar to fill the Patri- 
arch's larders. Oxen are steadily employed in drawing- 
sufficient quantities of hay and straw, for the accommo- 
dation of horses and mules. Naturally, the expense of 
continually providing- for such an army of people is 
enormous ; but the Patriarch, by virtue of his office, 
must keep a hospitable house, and every person, without 
any discrimination reg-arding- creed or nationality, is 
expected to be welcomed here, and be well kept ; accord- 
ing- to his social standing-, may he remain one hour or 
two months. To defray this enormous expense, how- 
ever, each visitor must contribute something-, be it vic- 
tuals or clothing-, fowds or sheep, money or jewels — no 
person dare come empty-handed. In addition to this 
collectors are sent our reg-ularly to collect contributions 
of honey, g-rapes, fruit, millet, wheat, cheese, wine, etc., 
and free-will g-ifts are continually pouring- in also. 
Besides, the Turkish g-overnment pays the Patriarch an 
annuity of between $1,400 and $1,500. After rising- very 
early in the morning-, as he alwa3^s does, and observing 
his daily worship, the Patriarch enters a larg-e apart- 
ment, or hall, where he g-ives audience to the people 
who have assembled to bring- all sorts of cases before 
him. During- my stay there I was g-iven the privileg-e 
to witness a few of these hearings. One man com- 
plained that his daughter had been forcibly abducted ; 
a second had his cattle stolen by the Kurds ; a third 
had been robbed on his journey. One man narrated a 
sad stor}^ of a caravan, among which he had traveled. 
It had been attacked, from twenty to thirty persons 
had been killed and all the goods stolen. Two leaders 
of devil-worshipers petitioned for redress for having 
been robbed and beaten nearly to death, etc. In such 
and similar cases the Patriarch either sends out his 



D —49- 



own servants to recover stolen property, in which they 
are often successful, or he telegraphs to the Turkish 
g-overnment and has the matter adjusted through them. 
It is, consequently, nothing very uncommon to find 
Turkish governors and other officials at the residence of 
the Nestorian Patriarch. 

It is impossible to adequately picture in words the 
awful condition in which the Christians live in these 
parts, so much oppressed by the wild Kurds and the 
Turks. On my travels there, always accompanied by 
two or three Turkish soldiers, I had ample opportunity 
to witness the outrages which Christians must endure. 
Whenever we had entered an Armenian or Nestorian 
village, the soldiers would rush into the houses and act 
entirely as masters of the place. They demanded food 
and drink such as they preferred, and their demands 
must be complied with under all circumstances or they 
would become furious, knock down doors, break the 
windows, slap the inhabitants in the face, shoot the 
chickens and other domestic animals in the yard, and 
carry on in a brutal manner. At one place they shot a 
little child, playing in the sand, just for a joke. When 
once we arrived at a village, late at night, they demol- 
ished the doors which were not immediately opened at 
their call, compelled most of the men in the village to 
arise from their beds and go out and cut grass in the 
fields for their horses. In the meantime they them- 
selves entered the houses, and did what they pleased 
with the women. At one time they entered a house 
while the male inhabitant was watering their horses. 
They found a woman, with children, lying asleep in 
bed. They picked up the bedding, together with the 
persons in it, carried all out of doors, emptied the 
mother and her children out into the yard, and, after 
taking the bed back into the house, slept on it them- 
selves. Everywhere in the Kurdistan Mountains the 



—50- 



dwelling-s of the Nestorians are of the humblest kind. 
Many houses (but they do not deserve that name) are 
built half undergTound on account of the extreme sever- 
ity of the winters, the snow there lying- five feet deep on 
the level. In order to keep warm during- this season, 
people live in one compartmeut, tog-ether with their 
animals, in a state of filth that beg-g-ars description. 
But there is another reason for this. The winters being- 
very long-, the animals owned by these people, are solel}' 
depending- upon the stock of hay laid in. This ha}^ as 
well as the animals, must be kept as near as possible, 
owing- to lawless tribes of Kurds, who are swooping- 
down upon them, forag-ing- their herds, pillag-ing- their 
g-oods and burning- their hay when within their reach 
and unprotected. However, the extortion and oppres- 
sions by the g-overnment are feared nearly as much as 
the Kurds. 

These soldiers are called Zaptiehs, and their func- 
tions are similar to those of the patrolmen in the United 
States ; but there is another kind of Turkish soldiers 
called Hamidieh, who are a great help to the Zaptieh in 
oppressing- the people. These will seize people at their 
option, and then promise to release them if the}^ pay 
them the money they want ; if the money is not for- 
warded, the}^ will be taken to prison. Here they will 
be penned in a cell full of vermin and filth, with twenty- 
five to thirty other persons, and no water g-iven them to 
drink but that which Mohammedans have used for their 
ablutions. The treatment which such poor persons are 
subjected to is most shocking- — (a) red hot irons are 
pressed ag-ainst different parts of their bodies ; (b) they 
are undressed and beaten into unconciousness ; {c) a 
collar is thrown over their heads and they are thus 
drag-g-ed throug-h the streets ; (d) they are left without 
food or drink until starved ; (e) they are forced to stand 
up for a long- time continuously, and all kinds of filth is 



—51- 



poured down over their heads; (/) they are forced to 
perform shaton toppy or devil's ring-, the result of which 
is death; hands and feet are tightly bound, they are 
forced to hold their hands above their heads, whereas 
a severe torture is administered and an unspeakable, 
beastly crime committed ; (g) their hair is plucked out 
by handfuls ; {/i) they are mutilated and crippled in 
various ways; (/) they are compelled to stand erect 
within a box just larg-e enoug-h to admit one person, but 
the box is beset with sharp steel points on all sides ; in 
this box they must stand for from thirty to forty-eig-ht 
hours in succession, not being- permitted even to attend 
to the wants of nature. 

When sent out to collect taxes, the Zaptiehs will 
demand the double amount. In a week, perhaps, they 
will put in an appearance a second time and demand the 
same amount again ; if their demand is not complied 
with, or remonstrances are offered, they will insist upon 
the surrender of young- women and g-irls in the family, 
to g-lut their brutal appetites, and if refused, punish- 
ment with tortures, often even death, is sure to follow. 

A compassionate reader may learn from this that the 
lives and property of Christians, subjects to the Sultan, 
are nowhere safe in the Ottoman Empire. There is no 
justice for them ; their lives, property and honor are 
ever at the mercy of the meanest Musselman who may 
see fit to attack either. He can never prove that he has 
been wrong-ed, for his evidence ag-ainst a Musselman is 
null and void. The sacred law of the Islam states that 
the murder of a Christian is not a crime. Christians 
are strictly prohibited from carrying- arms of any kind. 
They are held by law to practice hospitality towards 
any Musselman, be he official or traveler, pasha or 
beg-g-ar. These unwelcome guests demand the best 
rooms in the house, the best kind of nourishment 
possible, and make free with the female members of 



-52- 



the house to suit themselves. The men on the other 
hand are helpless, having- no arms or weapons, while 
their guests are generally well provided in this respect ; 
and should the}^ dare to enter complaint with an}- of the 
local authorities, the}^ would either be beaten or cast 
into prison, or even shot down on the spot. 

Christians are forbidden to ride on horses ; they may 
use donkeys for this purpose, but must descend when- 
ever they meet a Musselman, bow low with downcast 
eye, whether the Mohammedan be a beggar and he a 
nobleman, or vice versa. 

But to return to the tax collectors. A year's tax is 
demanded in advance. In many instances, of course. 
Christians will not be able to comply with this rigid 
law, and beg for time ; but it is not allowed them. 
Their cattle, household goods or other chattels, are taken 
and offered at auction, and the neighboring Kurds, who 
have been previously advised of the sale, will bid the 
lowest prices possible, as Christians are not permitted 
to join in the bidding. The proceeds of such auction 
sales are then divided among the Kurds and the Zap- 
tiehs. Thousands of Christians have thus been reduced 
to extreme want, feeding on roots and herbs for months, 
and thousands more have perished and are still perish- 
ing from starvation. Though not present myself at 
any of the terrible wholesale massacres of Christians, I 
at one time was only thirty miles distant from one of 
them. A Turkish soldier, Ahhamed, with whom I had a 
conversation, boasted of having himself killed thirty 
men, women and children during the shocking butchery 
at Sason. 

Since 1820 these defenseless Christian subjects of 
the Sultan have been slain at random. In 1822, 50,000 
Greek Catholics were massacred at Scio; in 1843, 18,000 
Nestorians in the Khurdistan Mountains ; 16,000 Mar- 
onites and Syrians at Lebanon and Damascus; 10,000 



Bulg-arians in 1876; more than 50,000 Armenians and 
others in Asiatic Turkey since 1894. But what shall we 
say of the many thousands of women and maidens who 
have been captured at each of these massacres, forced 
into Turkish harems, and are leading- a life to which 
death were far preferable ? And the throng- of children 
who were captured and taken or sold as slaves? And 
ag-ain, thousands and thousands of poor, wretched fug-i- 
tives, wandering- about nearly naked and without food, 
not knowing from day to day, where to rest their 
heads. Hundreds of Christian villages have been totally 
destroyed. 

Yet all non-Mohammedans might avoid all these 
troubles, be they Armenians, Nestorians or Jews, if 
they so desired. All they need do is to renounce their 
faith and turn Mohammedans. It is certainly true that 
from the moment a Christian embraces Mohammedan- 
ism, his trouble ceases. It is not astonishing, therefore, 
thoug-h greatly to be deplored, that many grow weak 
and finally yield and take recourse to this way of ending 
their misery. Many have already done so, and others 
are preparing- to follow their example. May God have 
mercy upon these poor fellow Christians and deliver them 
from the cruel sword of Mohammedanism and bring- 
them under a Christian banner. 

During- my visit with the Patriarch, two Roman 
Catholics, a priest and a layman, came and handed the 
Patriarch a letter from Pope Leo XIII. It had been 
translated into Syriac, and in it the pope urged the 
Patriarch for recognition. I was g-iven this letter to 
read. The Pope made the Patriarch hig-h offers of aid 
and assistance if he would but recognize him. "Come 
unto us as a prodigal son and our arms are open to receive 
you." This is a sentence contained in that letter. But 
the Patriarch answered very sternly, "We have not, 
we will not and we cannot embrace Romanism, as 



-54— 




^3000 



3>'hxaa 



"■ :ju;;i^ ^ ^^ : ei3 uJit^lA^ : L^pai'} iiti.^t^ ^3*^? |x>]ttiUb ^Jib:^ 

;»43.2jfiaw»^>aM;ta>)UwoJ^^ 
-ovU.iwMXM 2^tt.» . o^ . o*.,^^ >^3>a tw ^a .ti^^ t»3a»3 J(^*aA«!ne 0^^>» 

JL-»^»»3 ^ M t VTn li t ^tt ti 



Ordination Diploma from Mar Shuman, the Nestorian Patri- 
arch, securing- to Isaac Adams kind reception among- 
all Nestorians, as well as the legal authoritj' 
to preach and teach among- them. 



we feel that it has always been antag-onistic to truth, 
g-iv^eti to the worshiping- of imag^es, and Rome has ever 
been the g-reatest enemy of the Protestants ; more truly 
Christian blood has been shed by the Romanists than 
even by the Mohammedans." 

After a sta}' of twent}— three days with the Patriarch, 
and having" made all necessary arrang-ements with him 
concerning- my work, I started on my return to Persia, 
escorted by two Turkish soldiers, who accompanied 
and g-uarded me, having instructions to keep me from 
receiving- an^^ information from the people until we 
reached Persia. Here they left me, after I had been 
for forty-five days under their surveilance. I was 
nearly broken down in health, owing- to the man}' 
privations, hardships and sickening- sig-hts I had under- 
g-one and witnessed, and felt very much relieved when, 
once more at home, I perceived that my school and all 
the rest of my work was in a flourishing- condition. 



My Second Journey to America. 

Very soon, however, I became convinced that the 
nature and extent of my work demanded another 
visit to the United States. I did not hesitate long-, 
made the necessary arrangements with my helpers for 
conducting my schools during my absence, and left Per- 
sia a second time for America. 

Some time before this I had met a Dervish, named 
Ismail, who had entered into religious conversation 
with me. He, b}' some means or other, had begun to 
entertain doubts concerning his Mohammedan religion, 
and, upon inquir}' and further searching, had been con- 
vinced that the Islam was a false religion. He was now 
looking for something better. I found him to be an 

-55- 



honest, uprig-ht man, true to his convictions, and, being* 
urged by some Christians who knew him, and by the 
Nestorian bishop. Mar Gabriel, I determined to take 
Ismail with me to Russia, where he mig-ht enjoys relig"i- 
ous liberty. But, before doing- so, I had an agreement 
with him that he should try and eat bread and meat like 
other people. As a Dervish, true to his faith, he had 
become of the fanatic kind, and, as he claimed, had not 
partaken of any food of any kind excepting raisins, for 
"to let the body suffer will enrich the soul," was one of 
the axioms in which he believed. I myself entertained 
some doubts at first as to the varacity of his statements, 
but found them substantiated by many people who had 
known him for years. He had been with me for two or 
three months when we left Persia, and I had tried to 
get him accustomed to wholesome food again gradually, 
by mixing crumbs of bread with his raisins. 

It was not an easy task, nor was it altogether safe to 
take a Dervish with me on my journey. I, consequently, 
arranged it so that Ismail traveled at night, while I and 
a youth, Abshallom George by name, whom I also took 
with me, traveled during the day. In the evening, after 
our arrival at some place, Ismail would meet us, and 
Abshallom would give him food and money and the name 
of the next station where he could meet us. This 
was a very necessary precaution on our part, as in Persia 
and Turkey a Dervish who renounces his faith and 
openly confesses Christianity is doomed. In Tabriz 
there was a slight commotion among the Mohammedans 
when some one publicly claimed he had seen a Dervish 
coming and going in and out where we lodged. Our 
host and hostess, however, contradicted him by stating 
that the Dervish had arrived one day sooner than we, 
and so the gossip was silenced. After we were safely 
through the Caucasus, Russia, we could allow Ismail to 
travel in our company, which we gladly did, It was 



—56- 



both his and my earnest desire to g"et with him to Tifflis, 
where I expected him safe enoug"h to remain and be bap- 
tized. But I very soon found that I was mistaken, as 
not long- after our arrival at Tifflis the Persian consul 
was informed that I had converted a Dervish to the 
Christian faith. The consul sent his servants to investi- 
g-ate. I, having- been warned, however, was prepared. 
I had a carriage waiting at the back door, and, when 
the servants of the consul entered the house, Abshallom, 
with the Dervish, left it through the back door, and in 
the carriag-e were immediately taken to the depot, where 
they left for Valadikokas. Nevertheless, the consul's 
servants had found some of the "holy instruments" of the 
Dervish in my apartments and had taken these with them 
to the consul, who, in consequence, threatened to fol- 
low the matter up more closely. 

Upon this I despatched a messenger and informed 
the consul that, if he did not let this matter rest just 
where it was and have the articles his servants had 
taken from me speedily returned, I should certainly 
seek and find redress by appealing to all the rest of the 
consuls. This had the desired effect and I recovered 
my property. While in this city I also embraced the 
opportunity to settle my accounts with the British Bible 
Society, the London house having turned the matter 
over into the hands of their agents at Tifflis. I sent a 
large number of Bibles to Persia, and took a few only, 
and in various languages spoken in Russia, with me, as 
I thought I might make use of them on m}^ journey. 
After several days I reached Valadikokas. where I met 
Abshallom with Ismail. I had entertained the idea of 
leaving the latter there, but here also we soon learned 
that among the many Mohammedans living or sojourn- 
ing in this place Ismail was not safe. He also exhorted 
me to take him somewhere where he would not see any 
more Mohammodans, whatever. So I bought three 



tickets to Alexandrowa, via Harkow, Kiew and Warsaw. 
But between Rostow and Harkow I was robbed on the 
train and we were oblig'ed to lay over, as I had no more 
money. We stopped at the depot for two days and three 
nig-hts, I trying- to sell my Bibles during- the day. The 
people were Polanders, but I had only a few Polish 
Bibles with me. These were soon sold, as also some 
curiosities I had brought with me. I now boug-ht three 
tickets for the next station. This was on the German 
frontier, and here we were detained by the officials, who 
claimed they could not let us g-o on to Germany with as 
little money as we had. We told them our story of hav- 
ing- been robbed of our money in Russia, and I tried to 
impress upon them that I had friends in Berlin who 
would supply me as soon as I arrived there, but all to no 
avail. There remained nothing- for us to do but to sell 
nearly everything- we had (even my razor) and raise 
money. In this manner, with the help of God, I finally 
succeeded in getting all three of us to Berlin, and have 
still a few marks left. 

In Berlin, we were taken to a mission-house, where 
we were cordially welcomed, and spent a few days. All 
this time Ismail had not abandoned his Dervish clothes 
and his long-, waving- hair. Now I entreated him to 
make a radical change in his exterior and turn also 
outwardly into a good Christian. He consented, and we 
forthwith took him to a barber's shop. A suit of clothes 
was given him to put on, and he now began to look like 
one of us. We had each a separate bed to sleep in. 
Next morning Ismail came to me grumbling and excited. 
He could not get along with putting on his new clothes. 
He had his trousers on back part in the front, his collar 
was upside down, his suspenders were buttoned over his 
coat, etc. This irritated him greatly, and he insisted 
upon having his own garments back and did not want 
these clothes any longer. I adjusted his clothing and 

—58- 



talked to him kindly, upon which he became soothed 
and went with us to the breakfast table. But we were 
quite late and therefore alone in the dining- room. For 
the first time in his life Ismail tried to make use of a 
knife and fork. His first attempts were very awkward, 
and I told him to watch us and then do as we did. He 
tried it, but stuck the fork so far into his mouth that 
the points pricked him. Now he g-rew ang-ry, threw 
knife and fork upon the floor, overturned his chair and 
sat on the floor pouting and saying he would have 
nothing to do with such things any more. I softly and 
kindly instructed him again in the use of these things, 
and finally he became more pleasant again. After 
breakfast we went out to see the sights in the city, I 
explaining- to my companions what we saw as we went 
along". 

In the evening Ismail grew obstinate again. He 
once more demanded his own old g-arments, and insisted 
on having- them. I had foreseen this, however, and had 
ordered them burnt, with the exception of a sheep-skin 
the Dervishes use to sleep upon. This I let him have. 
He immediately took off his collar, cuffs and coat and 
hurled them from hiji, took the sheep-skin, went out 
into the middle of the street and lay down on the sheep- 
skin. Naturally, in a few moments he was surrounded 
by a throng- of people who stared at him and watched 
every movement he made. I went out and tried to get 
him back into the house, but not until after much urging 
and parleying- with him, did I succeed. But into a room 
he would not come. He spread his sheep-skin upon the 
floor of the hall and lay down upon it, and there he 
spent the night. We offered to buy him some new 
clothes next day, but he would not have them, say- 
ing, "Why should we endeavor to keep th.s fragile 
body clean and neat, knowing that after death it will 
become a prey to the worms? " 



-50- 



After a few days, however, lie became more obedient 
and supple, so that I entertained the idea of taking- him 
with me to America. My own circumstances, however, 
took such a turn that this was made impossible. I con- 
sequently left him in Berlin, and have not heard from 
him since. 

I had some Syriac manuscripts brought with me from 
Persia. These I sold in Berlin, and thus became 
enabled to buy tickets for myself and Abshallom to 
Hanover. Here I called at the office of the American 
Consul, who helped me on to Salzberg-en, where I stopped 
at the station depot ag-ain for three nig-hts. I had yet 
some German Bibles left, and a few pieces of needle-work 
or embroidery, and tried to sell both ; but owing to the 
lang-uage, of which I understood nothing-, and to the 
fact that the inhabitants were all Roman Catholics, I 
could not dispose of anything-, and we were both nearly 
starved. On one evening- I set out on a lonely walk and 
was lost in a forest throug-h which I wandered. I could 
not find my way back to the station until nearly 4 
o'clock in the morning-. But while wandering- on and 
on, trying- to find the depot, I crossed some fields, and 
was overjoyed when I noticed some turnips growing- in 
one of them. I pulled a few and ate them, and was 
g-reatly refreshed. I did not forg-et, either, to take some 
turnips with me for Abshallom, who had been patiently 
waiting- for me at the depot. When first he caug-ht 
sight of me he cried for joy, for he had already g-iven 
me up for lost, thinking- I had been killed by some one 
or devoured by wild beasts. Upon the arrival of the 
first morning- train, I called to the passengers leaving 
the train, "Is there any person who can speak English?" 
Immediately a young man came to me, and upon hear- 
ing what I had to say to him, directed me to Bentheim, 
where, he said, there was a society called "Newton." 
After several hours walk I came to that place, but 



—60— 



found the people very unkind and irrelig-ious. They 
said they were not able to assist us in any manner. 
When I left this place tears rolled down my cheeks, 
and I knew not what next to do, but thought we should 
surely have to starve. 

As I was walking- along- the street, almost despair- 
ing-, I saw a book store with some Bibles in the show 
window. Upon finding- that the keeper could understand 
some English I offered him my Bibles for sale. He 
called me in, and, after learning my circumstances, said 
he had heard of me before. He fed me, and gave me 
some eatables also for Abshallom,* whom I had left at 
the depot. Besides this he presented me with ten marks, 
and another person, who was present and overheard our 
conversation, handed me three marks more. This monev 
enabled us to go to Kampen, Netherlands, where I met 
my most honorable and dearly beloved professors and 
friends. The following letter, addressed to the Hon. Mr. 
Ittman, of Rotterdam, will tell of my short visit at 
Kampen : 

Most Honorabi,e Gentleman: You will undoubtedly remem- 
ber Mr. Adams, who visited us in 1894. He is on his journey to 
America, where he hopes to be ordained as missionary. He deems 
this necessary, as his work has become very extensive in the 
schools, and as he will be better equipped. 

Last Sunday a teleg^raph dispatch from Hanover informed us 
that Mr. Adams and his friend were at that place, in very critical 
circumstances, as they were robbed of their money in a train, in 
Russia. He arrived there without a penny with him, and, as we 
thought best he should not longer be detained here, we gave him 
one hundred and twelve guilders and fifty cents for his journey to 
America. This money was partly received formerly and partly 
contributions of our own. 

It is necessary that he, in America, should complete his busi- 
ness as soon as possible and return to Persia. 

If this money might not be sufficient (we do not know the 
price, third class,) then he will, without doubt, be sustained at 
your place. I can assure you that the money is perfectly well 

-61— 



employed ; we have obtained a good impression of his work 
through many letters and photographs. 

B. WIELENGA. 

At Rotterdam I called upon Mr. Ittman and some 
other friends, from whom I received donations as fol- 
lows : Fifteen g-uldens of Mr. Ittman ; twent}- guldens 
from G. Van den Boom ; twenty g-uldens from J. L. Van 
den Boom ; ten guldens from Mr. Van den Kooi, and 
twenty-five guldens from the Reformed Church at Rot- 
terdam. These friends also offered to purchase for me 
a second-class ticket to New York, but I declined the 
kind offer, saying that they might better help me along 
in my work. 

I therefore left Rotterdam with Abshallom for New 
York. 

The following is one of the reports of my schools 
since my second arrival in this country : 

Oroomiah, Pkrsia. 
Rev. Isaac Adams : 

Dkar Brother : In my last letter I sent you the report of 
the school of Balaf, and also of Mart Maryam. Herewith I send 
you the report of the other schools : 

SCHOOi, OF Karai^ary — NuviA, Teacher. 

He has a nice and warm room where the children are 
instructed. 

Class 1. — They have begun with the spelling book and have 
completed it, and also have read the Gospel of Matthew, and are 
up to the 15th chapter of Mark, and they are taught the history 
of the Old Testament, and have also committed to memory fifteen 
pages of the question book. 

Class 2 — This class also began with the spelling book and 
have completed the same, and have learned the Gospel of 
Matthew, and also fifteen pages in the question book. This 
class was brave and gave good satisfaction in examination. 

Class 3 — They are in the spelling book up to page 10, and 
three pages in the question book. 

Class 4. — They are all small children, who are just beginning 
the spelling book, and are taught the I^ord's prayer. 

—03— 



The villag-e is in great need of this school, but it is necessary 
for the teacher to be faithful. There is no other school in this 
villag^e, neither is there any other Christian worker. It is a 
g-rand field of labor for a faithful teacher. 

SCHOOi. OF MooRASCHERRY — Gewerges, Teacher. 

Class 1. — They read in the New Testament in the modern 
Syriac languag-e, and also Genesis in the ancient Syriac. They 
gave a good showing- in arithmetic, in the Lord's prayer, ten 
commandments and apostle's creed. They also have had stories 
from the Old Testment, and have learned to write. 

Class 2. — They began with the spelling- book, have completed 
the same, and also the Gospel of Matthew, and are now in the 
Gospel of Mark. 

Class 3. — They began with the spelling book, and have 
completed the same, and have just started in the Gospel of Luke. 

Class 4. — There are six boys and g-irls just beg-inners in the 
spelling- book. 

In all the classes of this school, instruction is given in the 
Lord's prayer, ten commandments and apostle's creed. In this 
school we have three children of Mohammedans that is from the 
Sheah's sect, and also a Soonnees, whose name is Ali. He has 
learned two pag-es from Goolistan, and he has newly begun on 
the Gospel of Matthew in the Persian lang-uag-e. In this villag-e 
there are forty-two houses ; eig-hteen are Nestorians and the rest 
are Mohammedans, and there is no other school besides this. 
The teacher here we found to be very faithful. Every evening- 
he visits the houses and holds conversation about Christ with the 
parents of the children, and he does g-ood work in the village. 
There is good testimony about him from the village. He is a 
worthy and faithful young man. We found him busy with his 
school. May the Lord bless his work. It's an excellent field for 
labor among Musselmen and Nestorians. 

ScHOOiv OF AivKAi — K. Benyamin, Teacher, assisted by 
Gewerges, Jr. 

The total of pupils here at present is thirty-two ; of these, 
fourteen are boys and eighteen are girls. One girl died with 
diphtheria ; she was 11 years of age. There are two others sick 
in bed. 

Class 1 — In the ancient Syriac, the Gospel of Mark and in 
Genesis up to the 17th chapter In Turkish language, they have 
begun in the Gospel of Matthew up to the 10th chapter. In 

- 63— 



Persian they have studied three chapters in Genesis. In arith- 
metic, they are up to division ; and they have a good knowledge 
of Bible stories, and have fine hands for writing. 

Class 2. — In the ancient Syriac, they have studied nine 
chapters in the Gospel of Matthew. In the Turkish language 
they have studied forty-three pages in the spelling book. In the 
modern Syriac they study in Genesis. 

Class 3. — In the ancient Syriac, with its translation into 
modern, they have begun from the 1st chapter of Matthew to 
the 13th. In the Turkish spelling book they are up to page 17, 
and have a good start in writing sentences. 

Class 4 — In the modern Syriac, they have begun from the 1st 
chapter of Matthew and are now to the 14th chapter. In Genesis, 
they have just begun in the modern Syriac. 

In the: GirIv's Department. 

Class 1 — They have begun with Matthew and are up to the 
6th chapter of lyuke. They have studied a little in the ancient 
Syriac from the beginning of Matthew. They have also learned 
the smaller arithmetic, and have three pages in the spelling 
book of the Turkish language. They also have penmanship. 

Class 2.— The ancient Syriac began from the first of Matthew 
and they are now up to the 14tb chapter of Mark. They have 
just started to learn to write. 

Class 3 — They are all in the spelling book. 

The most of the boys and girls in this school, except the 
3d class of the girl's department, can recite the I^ord's prayer 
and apostle's creed, and some of the higher classes can also 
recite the ten commandments. 

The teachers are very faithful and quiet and love teaching 
the pupils This school is in good order, but all the work in it, 
we may say, is the fruit of Kasha Benyamin, who is in great 
anxiety for its success. 

SCHOoiv OF Darbary^ — Ayraham, Teacher. 

Class 1 — Study the New Testament up to the Gospel of John, 
and the Old Testament up to Bxodus; arithmetic up to subtrac- 
tion ; spelling up to writing of sentences. 

Class 2 — Fourteen boys and girls are in this class. They are 
all in the spelling book, and instructions are given to them in 
Bible stories, and they are taught the Lord's prayer, ten com- 
mandments and apostle's creed. Karram, a Mohammedan, has 
studied five chapters in Goolistan, and two chapters in Tarrusel, 

-64— 




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and seven chapters from the Gospel of Matthew in the Persian 
lang^uage. la the Syriac lang-uag^e, he is in the speller. 

The teacher does the house-to-house visitation every evening- 
and people are g"lad to receive him and listen to the Gospel 
stories We have had good testimony for him from the inhabi- 
tants of the village, and they are all pleased with his work and 
manner of conduct. There is no other school building- here 
besides ours. The school is not very comfortable as the roof is 
quite low. 

ScHooiv OF Karasani^ovi, Asyad, Teacher. 

Clasts 1. — Completed the Gospel of Matthew and Mark, and 
are now to the 14th chapter of Luke. And in Turkish language 
they have studied fifteen pag-es in the speller, writing of words 
and sentences. 

Class 2. — Up to the 12th chapter of Mark. Catechetical 
instructions — that is, Bible stories, ten commandments, Lord's 
prayer, etc , are given to this and all the other classes. 

Class 3. — Completed the speller, and studied thirteen pages 
in the book called Deaf and Dumb. They will soon begin with 
the Gospel of Matthew. 

Class 4. — They have started the speller and have gone to the 
21st page. Lord's prayer they have committed to memory. 

Class 5. — There are thirteen boys and girls and are all 
beginners I can most heartily speak a good word for Teacher 
Asyad, for her care and earnestness in teaching these little ones 
the fear of the Lord and the spiritual catechism. The subject 
which they study she causes them to understand. Her aim is not 
only to put the truth in the heads of her pupils, but also in the 
heart, and she does not hesitate to teach the stories in the Bible. 

This is the only school in Karasanlovi. 

ScHOOiv OF BoRASHAN— Agasy, Teacher. 

Class l.—ln the ancient Syriac, they began from the Gospel 
of Matthew and are up to the 24th chapter, with the translation 
in the Modern Syriac. And reading- from the different parts of 
the Testament. Have completed the smaller arithmetic and 
started the larger one. 

Class 2. — Have studied twentj'-seven chapters in the Gospel 
of Matthew, in the modern Syriac, and two chapters in the 
ancient Syriac, and smaller arithmetic. 

Class 3. — Began with the speller and completed the same, and 
have also studied six chapters in Mark. 

-65- B 



Class 4 — Started the beg-innitig of spsller and have completed 
the same ; have studied three chapters of Mark 

Class 5. — There are nine boys and girls. They are all in the 
speller. 

All the classes in this school, except the 4th and 5th, can 
recite the Lord's prayer, ten coniinandments and apostle's creed, 
while the two classes can recite the Lord's prayer only. 

This is the only school in this villag-e. 

ScHOOi, OF Eriava — K. Patrous, Teacher. 

This school had thirty-two pupils, but, because a missionary 
came to the villag-e and gave alms to the poor, eight children 
went away to get alms. There are two other schools besides 
our own here, — one of the Roman Catholics and one of the Pres- 
bj'terians ; but the number of pupils in our school exceeds both of 
the others. I suppose the children who went to the other school 
to get alms will soon come back, that is, after the alms-giving is 
suspended. 

Class 1. — The New Testament in the ancient Syirac has been 
studied with translation into that of modern. The larger arith- 
metic, up to subtraction. In the speller, up to writing words and 
sentences, and catechetical instruction. 

Class 2. — Modern Syriac, first three Gospels, smaller arith- 
metic and writing. 

Class 3. — Modern Syriac, begun from the first part of Matthew 
up to the 12th chapter ; previously they repeated the speller. 

Class 4. —Began the speller and have completed it and started 
from the Gospel of Luke. 

Class 5. — They are all small children and are just beginners. 
Sctiooi< OF Sangar— Abshalom, Teacher. 

Class 2.— Have studied Genesis, with the translation from the 
ancient to modern Syriac. Have completed the question books 
Have studied arithmetic to subtraction, and from the Gospel they 
have studied ten chapters in Matthew and seventeen in Mark 

Class 2.— They have studied six chapters of Genesis, with the 
translation from the ancient to the modern Syriac. They are 
nearly through with the question book. They have studied arith- 
metic to subtraction. They have started with the Gospel of 
Matthew. 

Class 5.— They have studied fifteen chapters in the Gospel of 
I^uke, with translation from ancient to modern Syriac, and five 

—66— 



chapters in Genesis, in the modern Syriac lang-uag-e. All these 
classes have also writing-, and are able to repeat the lyord's 
prayer and ten commandments, and also have learned many 
passag-es out of the Scriptures. 

Class 4. — There are eight boys and girls in this class and are 
all just beginners. They have just begun with the speller, 

ScHOOi< OF KooM — Abraham, Teacher. 

Class 1. — Completed the speller and started in the Gospel of 
Matthew. They are up to the Gospel of I^uke ; of course, they 
simply give a repetition to the speller ; small arithmetic. 

Cl'iss 2. — They have just completed the speller, expect them 
to begin with the Gospel soon. 

Class 3. — They are advanced in the speller. 

Class 4. — They are all beg-inners Instruction in Bible stories, 
the Ivord's prayer, ten commandments, and apostle's creed is 
g-iven in this school. There are no other schools besides ours in 
this village. All the schools (eleven) begin between 8 and 9 
o'clock in the morning-. 

First, after all pupils are present, leaving their shoes in the 
hall while keeping on their hats, the teachers read a portion of 
the Scriptures, after which he puts simple questions to the pupils 
concerning what he had read ; then he opens with prayer. Then 
he starts from the first class, and so forth, listening to their reci- 
tations. The teacher is sitting in the center of the room, and 
when the class comes to recite, they form a circle around him, 
while the other pupils are sitting against the walls of the room, 
yet the pupils are allowed to ask questions at any time. The 
school is closed with one of the pupils reciting the Lord's prayer ; 
that is at about 12 o'clock. School starts again at 1 o'clock and 
closes at 5 o'clock. The last hour, between 4 and 5 o'clock, is 
given entirely to Bible instructions. 

Most of our schools meet on Sunday with the teachers, in like 
manner, for religious purposes. The pupils who are in advance 
will recite seven verses, anywhere out of the bible, and the others 
will recite one, and some just one sentence, as "God is love." 

As has been stated previously, the teacher visits the homes 
and the parents of the children and tries to increase the attend- 
ance in the school, and speaks to the parents about the Gospel. 

The field is great and the laborers are few, but let it be 
known to you that the work is progressing nicely and the pros- 
pects grow brighter every day. We may expect a great work in 

-67 - 



the future. We hope everything- will be written to you fully, that 

you may know that the efforts of our friends have not been in 

vain. May the dear I^ord reward them in his Kingdom above. 

Amen. Yours truly, 

KASHA OSHANA. 

ESHAKAN, 

Examiners. 

This is a literal translation of the report I have 
received. I believe this is a statement which will make 
the hearts of those who have helped in mj work, with 
their small and great donation, rejoice in the Lord with 
thankfulness ; that through these gifts there had been 
planted eleven schools, children and youths are being 
taught not only education and civilization; but the secret 
knowledge of our blessed Redeemer, who loved such as 
these, and who said, "As much as you do unto these 
little ones, ye do unto me." 

Surely, we may say that the Lord reigneth, and who 
knows but out of this humble work we may see a great 
opening for the proclamation of the Gospel in my country. 

I deemed it necessary to send my brother Abraham 
to care for this work during- my absence, and he, there- 
fore, left New York October, 1897. 

The following is a letter from my brother Abraham, 

received lately : 

Mart-Mar VAN ,* 
Oroomiah, Persia, February 24, 1898. 

Dear Brother : I have just returned from Karasanlovi, 
whereas, I was yesterday in Alkai. I am g-lad that I can give 
you a good report concerning- the schools. I found also that the 

*Two wards of Oroomiah city are inhabited by Christians. One is known 
by the name of Gol patali-Khan; here live the Armenians, and among- them is the 
French mission headquarters; the other is inhabited by the Assyrians or Nes- 
torians. American and English mission workers have their headquarters here. 
This part is known by the name of Mart-Maryan. The name is taken from the 
church erected here in the honor of the Virg-in Marj'. The tradition as to the erec- 
tion of a church here is, that a priest, while asleep, dreamt that a woman appeared 
to him. He asked her name. She answered: "I am Mary, mother of Jesus; thou 
shaft build a church here in m}' name, and let all mothers, who may lack milk to 
nourish their children, come to my shrine, and I will make their supply plentiful." 
So the women, of all religions, from distant parts of the country, will come with wax 
candles, sheep and doye sacrifices, and also with the incense, to seek her blessing. 

—68— 



ignorance and superstition of the people is almost without 
description The men say, woman has no part in the resurrec- 
tion, and the women themselves have no knowledge of future 
life; but to their great surprise they have heard and hear about 
God's love to them, and the story of the cross seems so wonderful 
to them that they cannot believe it, especially that He should 
care for them and be their Savior. 

At first there was some prejudice as to the school and the work, 
but now many come to hear and ask about that wonderful Savior. 

Some people, more especially the older ones, have a great 
idea that Heaven is to be merited by strict observance of the fast- 
ings, especially at this time, as fifty days are observed before 
Blaster. But, as you know, they abstain from meat and oily sub- 
stances, but they do not cease to swear and do other wicked 
things. However, thanks be to God, that the power of the holy 
life of Christ is seen in the respect now shown them, and in the 
increasing readiness to hear them again and again. 

At 9 o'clock the examination commenced in the school room, 
which was crowded by the parents and people of the village. 

The pupils occupied the middle of the room. The studies in 
which they were examined were modern and ancient Syriac, Per- 
ian and Turkish languages, geography, spelling, arithmetic, Bible 
history, reading and writing. But what pleased me most was the 
recitations of the different verses and passages ot Scripture, one 
child reciting a whole chapter. And in all the work the pupils 
did credit both to themselves and their teacher. The singing 
especially pleased the parents, many of whom loudly expressed 
their astonishment, especially at seeing that the girls as well as 
the boys could be educated. 

The teacher not only taught them to pray, but also to love 
Jesus ; and she is in the habit of praying with different pupils, 
alone, each day, and the school also is opened and closed with 
prayer. The teacher has also done much to interest the parents 
in religion. 

In short, I can say that the good seed is being sown, and hope 
the Lord will bless the work and will strengthen the teachers to 
do still more for the Master. 

My brother, do all you can, through the help of God, to 
spread the Gospel of our dear L<ord to these ignorant and super- 
stitious people. 

I assure you that your struggles have not been in vain. 

I am, your brother, 

ABRAHAM ADAMS. 

—69— 



PART SECOND. 



Manners, Customs, Habits, Religious and Social 
Life in Persia. 

PERSIA is called Iran by the natives. It extends 
nine hundred miles west and east and seven hun- 
dred miles north and south. The present boundaries 
are : The Caspian Sea and the Transcaucasian provinces 
of Russia on the north ; Bokhara, Afg-hanistan and 
Boloochistan on the east ; the Strait of Ormuz and the 
Persian Gulf on the south ; Asiatic Turkey on the west. 
It has an area of 648,000 square miles. 

Many nations of whom we read in the Bible and in 
history have lived or had their representatives in Persia, 
but only one of these is in existence at the present time. 
We know of Eg"yptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks 
and Romans as having- once been prevailing powers, 
mig-hty empires of the world ; but they have either 
vanished from the face of the earth or their power and 
g-lory has faded away and they have dwindled into 
insig-nificant provinces of other empires and kingdoms. 
Persia has held its own ; it still occupies the same posi- 
tion it did centuries ago. 

It is also remarkable as a Bible-land. By many 
Persia is claimed as the region where the Garden of 
Eden was situated ; where Abraham was born ; where 
Daniel prophesied. It was under the rule of Cyrus the 

—70— 



Great, and the home of the wise men who were the first 
representatives of the g^entiles who came to worship 
the infant born Christ.* When Assyria led the Jews 
captive to Babylon, it was Persia who humbled her 
power and vanity and restored Juda to her native land, 
to rebuild the house of the Lord. 

Her glor}', toda}', has flown away and her splendor 
has faded, but her physical beaut}' still remains. Persia 
is a paradise, intoxicating- people with the fragrance of 
its roses. It is a garden, wreathing- the faces of man- 
kind into smiles by its beautiful streams. 

The national emblem of the empire is the lion and 
the sun, which accounts for the fact that it is occasion- 
ally called the land of the lion and the sun. 

According- to Shah Nameh of Friduei the histor}^ of 
Persia beg-ins some thousand years before the Christian 
era. The northwestern part of Persia, called Media in 
ancient times, was known to the Greeks as the Assyrian 
Empire. But the Medians under Dejoce, in 708 B. C, 
shook the Assyrian yoke from off their necks and sub- 
jug-ated the other tribes of Persia. In 538 Cyrus of 
Persia rebelled ag-ainst the Medes, was victorious, and 
extended the southern frontier of his domain to the river 
Oxus and Indus and annexed Asia Minor, Syria, Pales- 
tine and Mesopotamia. He was succeeded by his son 
Cambyses (529-522), and the latter by Darius (522-521). 
This dynasty ruled until Darius III. was compelled by 
Alexander the Great to acknowledg-e his superiority, the 
latter being- several times victorious over him and con- 
quering- all Persia. 

Under the leadership of the tribe of Arsoude, Persia 
once more regained its independence in 246 B. C. But 
the dynasty of Arsoude came to an end at the hands of 
Ardasher Babajans, who manag-ed to gain possession of 



^According- to tradition the tomb of one of the three wise men is located near my 
home, and a church is erected at Mart-Maryan in his honor. 

—71- 



more than one-half of the entire country, name!}' : the 
provinces of Fars, Kerman, and the whole of Irakiston. 
In 218 B. C, however, this valiant prince and warrior 
conquered the whole nation and was crowned "King- of 
King-s" (Shahin Shah in Persia). This was the beg"in- 
ning- of the famous dynasty of the Sassanidae, under 
whose reig"n Persia acquired unprecedented power and 
prosperity. Their last ruler succumbed to the Arabs in 
636 A. D., and these ruled Persia till 750 A. D. The 
tribe of the Abbosides now assumed the Persian throne, 
but was in turn soon overthrown. The country was 
thereupon divided into different provinces, until in 1253 
it was conquered and subdued by the Mong-ols under 
Geng-his Khan and his g-randson, Khulakum Knan. The 
former was a Christian. During- his reig-n Moryaw Al- 
aha was the Nestorian patriarch and under his care the 
church was very successful. The Mong-ol dynasty lasted 
until 1335 A. D. 

A new dynasty arose in western Persia in 1500 A. 
D. Ismael, the descendant of an ancient family of de- 
votees and saints, became the leader of a number of 
tribes which united under him, and with the aid of 
which he overturned the rule of the Turkoman and 
made Aderbjon his capital. His followers held him in 
the hig-hest esteem on account of his personal valor and 
owing- to the hig-h rank of his family revered him. He 
rapidly subdued western Persia, and in 1511 took Kura- 
son and Balkh from the Uizbecks. In 1514 he encoun- 
tered a far more formidable enemy in the mig-hty Salim, 
Sultan of Turkey, whose zeal for the conquest was 
fanned by relig-ious fanaticism having- developed into 
hatred ag-ainst the Shutes, the followers of Ishmael 
larg-ely adhering- to this sect, and who in turn were 
fiercely inflamed ag-ainst the Sunites, the subjects and 
followers of the Sultan. In the ensuing- conflict Ismael 
was defeated, but Salim could not record any great g-ain 

-72- 



from this victory. Ismael's son, Shah Tah-masip, who 
reigned from 1523 to 1576, subdued all the Uzbecks of 
Khorazon and frequently defeated the Turks without 
suffering- the loss of a sing-le battle. He takes rank as 
a prudent and spirited ruler. 

Shah, Abbas I, the Great, who was one of the most 
g-lorious of Persia's modern king-s, ascended the throne 
in 1585 and ruled until 1628. He restored internal tran- 
quility and repelled the invasions of the Uzbecks and 
Turks. In the year 1605 he g^ave the Turks such a ter- 
rific drubbing- that they made no more trouble during- 
his long reign. He also restored to his kingdom Kur- 
distan Mosul and Drarbekin, which had long been sep- 
arated from Persia. Abbas' government was strict, but 
just and equitable. Roads, bridges, caravansories* and 
other conveniences for trade were constructed at great 
cost, and the improvement and ornamentation of the 
towns were not neglected. Many of his large caravan- 
sories which bear his name remain to this day. 

Isphahan, his capital, in a brief period of his reign, 
doubled its population. His tolerance was remarkable, 
considering the character of his ancestors and subjects, 
for he encouraged the Armenian Christians to settle in 
the country, well knowing that their peacable, indus- 
trious habits would enhance the prosperity of his 
kingdom. 

His successors were Shah Sufi, (1628-41), Shah Abbas 
H, (1641-66), and Shah Soliman, (1666-94). During the 
reign of Shah Sultan Hussein (1694-1722) a weak and 
foolish prince, priests and slaves were elevated to high 



*King- Abbas ordered one of his officers to construct 1,000 caravansoris, the cost 
of construction to be paid for from the kings treasury. The officer built only 999, and 
when the king- inquired if he had finished his task, he replied that he had buift one 
less. This made the king- very ang-rj^ and he ordered the officer to be beheaded. The 
officer requested the privileg-e to speak, which the king- g-ran*ed. Then the officer 
said: "Long- live the king I I did this for the honor of the king", because it would 
take the people long-er to say 999 than 1,000." This pleased the king- so that he 
spared the officers' life and g-ave him a hig-h office. 



offices and the Sunnites suffered sore persecution. The 
result was that Afg-han besieg^ed the king- in Isphahan, 
Hussein abdicated in favor of his conqueror, who ulti- 
mately became insane and suffered deposition in 1725 at 
the hands of his brother Ashrab. 

The atrocious tyranny of Ashrab was suddenly 
checked by the celebrated Nadir-Shah. Hussein and 
Ashrab belong-ed to the dynasty of Sayides, a holy sect, 
descendants of their prophet Mohammed. 

Nadir-Shah was one of the g-reatest warriors of 
Persia. He raised Tah-Masip (1729-32) and his son. 
Abbas III, (1732-36), of the Suffivian race, to the throne, 
and then on some frivolous pretext deposed Abbos III 
and seized the scepter himself (1736-47). Nadir was 
assassinated by Imam-Kuli-Khan, of Oroomiah, whose 
descendants now live very near our mission station in 
Oroomiah. Ag-ain after the murder of Nadir, Persia 
was divided into many independent states and became a 
field of blood. Beloochistan and Afghanistan became 
independent till 1755, when a Kurd, Karim Khan (1755- 
79) abolished this state of affairs, re-established peace 
and unity in western Persia, and by his justice, wisdom 
and warlike talents acquired both the esteem of his 
subjects and the respect of the neig-hboring- states. He 
received the title, "Father of Persia." Karim Khan 
was succeeded in 1784 by Al Murad, then by Jaafor and 
the latter by Lutf-Ali Merza. 

During- IvUtf-Ali's reig-n Mazandaran became inde- 
pendent under Ag-ha Mohammed Khan, a Turkoman. 
Lutf-Ali Merza rushed into Mazandaron and killed all 
the relations of Mohammed Khan who were ruling- 
there and took captive Ag-ha Mohammed Khan, a boy 
only six years old, making- him a eunuch. 

This boy was of Kajar race. When he was in the 
harem of Lutf-Ali, he kept thinking- how his cruel 
master murdered his father and all his relatives. When 



-74- 



he sat on the royal rug-s, he would take his reveng-e b}' 
cutting- them. When of ag-e, 20 or 25 years old, he 
eloped to his own country, Mazandaren, and joined his 
relations. He frequently attacked Lutf-Ali, and de- 
feated him in 1795. He was then able to establish his 
throne in the southern part Mazandaran. This g-reat 
Eunuch king- founded the dynasty which rules today, 
restored the king-dom as it was under Karim-Kurd, and 
conquered Georg-ia and Kharasan. But he was assassi- 
nated May 14, 1797. His nephew, Futteli-Ali Shah, 
(1797-1834) eng-ag-ed in three wars with Russia, and was 
defeated each time. As a result, he lost his territory in 
Armenia and a part of Persia — namely, from the Cau- 
casian Mountains to the River Aras, which now fixed 
the boundary between Russia and Persia. 

Futteli-Ali, in his last war with Russia, in 1826, was 
entirely defeated. Besides losing- some of his territory, 
he paid the sum of 18,000,000 rubles ($9,000,000) to 
Russia. The death of the Crown Prince Abbas Mirza 
(1833) seemed to g-ive final blow to the declining- fortune 
of Persia, as he was the only man who seriously 
attempted to raise his country from the state of abase- 
ment into which it had fallen. 

Futteli-Ali had seven sons. One of them, Jahon- 
Suz- Mirza, lives today. Seven years ag-o he was 
g-overnor in the author's city. After the death of the 
Crown Prince, each of the seven sons laid claim to the 
throne, while the father was still living-. At the same 
time the Crown Prince Abbas-Mirza had a son named 
Mohammed. Futteli-Ali, when quite old and near 
death, by the aid of Russia, made Mohammed, his 
g-randson, king- (1834-1848). 

Nayib-Ali-Saltana acted as reg-ent during- the boy- 
hood of Mohammed. When he came to power for 
himself, he conceived the idea of restoring- Baluchistan, 
Afg-hanistan, and a g-reat part of Turkoman, to the 

—75— 



Persian dominion. He was especially anxious to take 
Herat, the key to India, but was resisted b}'- England. 
The war was terminated in 1838. 

Nasreddin (defender of his religion), the late Shah, 
(who was assassinated May 1, 1896), a young man 18 
years old and very energetic, succeeded his father in 
1848. Following his father's example, the new Shah 
tried to restore Afghanistan and Baluchistan, but was 
compelled by England to sign an agreement on January 
25, 1858, by which he was bound not to interfere any 
longer in the internal affairs of Herat. 

In 1858, he violated this treaty, and took the city of 
Herat. After a severe war with England, in 1857, in 
which his loss was 20,000 soldiers, he relinquished 
Herat, but added to Persia many provinces in the west- 
ern part of Afghanistan and Baluchistan, and also some 
states in Turkoman. 

He was one of the best kings of Persia. He visited 
Europe three times; once in 1873. He had European 
ideas and was a well educated man. He started a good 
system of postal telegraph and had 30,000 soldiers 
trained after European discipline. Above all he founded 
a beautiful college in Teheran, which is called in Per- 
sian Daralfnoon (the place of science). The present 
Shah, Mozuffur-uddine, was born March 25, 1853, and 
succeeded his father on May 1, 1896. 

Persia is divided into thirteen states: Ghilon, Ma- 
zandaron, Astarabad, in the north; Aderbjon, Persian 
Kurdistan, Luriston, Kerman with Mogiston in the 
south; Irakeston, the capital state, where the king 
resides, being in the center. On the east lies the large 
estate of Khorason, which is mainly a desert. 

The largest city is Fabriz, has about 200,000 inhabi- 
tants, and is also the most important commercial city. 

The present population of Persia is about 10,000,000, 
composed of representatives of various nations. Each 



—76- 



speaks its own lang"Uag"e and uses its own national cos- 
tume. There are about 30,000 Jews, 60,000 Armenians, 
75,000 Nestorians, 675,000 Kruds, 15,000 Fire-wor- 
shipers, and the remainder are Mohammedans. 

The Shah is reg^arded as the ag-ent of Mohammed, 
and as such demands implicit obedience. The govern- 
ment is therefore an absolute despotism. The Shah 
appoints a governor for each state; this g-overnor ap- 
points a mayor in each city within his territory. This 
office is not awarded on the basis of education, ability 
or worthiness, but is g-iven to the man who will pay the 
most money, provided his ancestr}- is fairly g-ood. Many 
mayors of cities are related to the royal family. These 
offices are limited to terms of one year, but many times 
a mayor is removed before his time expires, subjects 
complaining- loudly ag-ainst him, or some person bidding- 
more money tor the office. When a man is appointed 
mayor of a city, the lords and counts of that city, 
accompanied by soldiers, will g-o three miles to meet the 
new official. He is g-reeted with discharg-es of artillery. 

These lords ride on very fine Arabian horses with 
g-old-bitted bridles and escort the mayor into the city. 
The new governor admires the fine horses of his lords, 
occasionally covets some fine steed among them, and 
before his term expires finds a way to get possession of 
it by helping the lord out of some trouble. 

If the new mayor is a prince, all prisoners confined 
in the city jails are taken before him as he enters the 
city. This is to signify that as a member of the royal 
family he has authority to behead them. 

The third day after a new mayor has arrived in a 
city it is customary for lords and counts to visit him 
with presents of money, golden trinkets, Arabian horses, 
etc. A mayor has from one hundred to three hundred 
servants. He pays them no salary. Some willingly 
enter his service for the name, some from fear, and 



-((-■ 



others from choice. Most of these servants obtain a 
living- from fines and bribes. Some of them are detailed 
to settle quarrels between men in some village that be- 
long-s to the city. This is their opportunity and they 
early. learn to make the most of it. 

Kach officer is at the mercy of the higher officer who 
may take away his office or cause him to be executed at 
any time, without any trial, in any cruel manner he 
may desire. 

The prisons are frequently cellars, underground, 
without windows, damp and invested with flies. They 
are seldom ventilated. 

These pits, or prisons, are long and narrow and have 
each a heavy timber reaching across the middle, on 
which chains of iron are fastened to secure prisoners. 
The floor is made of clay and there is no means of ad- 
mitting light or fresh air into these dungeons, which in 
consequence are full of all kinds of vermin. There is no 
bed or furniture. The government does not feed the 
inmates ; their friends bring bread and throw it to 
them, and some of this even is sometimes picked up by 
the jailor and kept for his own nourishment. No men 
are allowed to visit the prisons, but wives or daughters 
may purchase this privilege by paying a fee to the 
jailor. The torture of prisoners is regulated according 
to the nature of their crimes. The common method of 
torture for thieves, robbers and murderers, is to put the 
bare foot of the criminal in a vise, and squeeze it until 
he cries in agony. If he gives the jailor some money, 
or promises to give some the next time his friends visit 
him, the pressure on the foot is lessened. If a man 
goes to jail wearing good clothes, the jailor often 
exchanges his own poorer suit for the good ones. 



-78- 



Execution. 

The modes of execution used by the Persian Govern- 
ment are still barbarous in the extreme. Male convicts 
are put to death either by being- blown from the mouth 
of a canon, by having- their jug-ular arteries severed, or 
by being- nailed to a wall. Women are sentenced to 
have their heads shaved, their faces blackened, then to 
take a bare-back ride on a donkey through the principal 
streets of a city or village, and finally to be put into a 
bag and beaten to death. Others are executed by put- 
ting them in a nude condition into a bag full of cats, 
w^ho will speedily scratch and bite them to death. 

Any prince of the royal family has authority to pass 
the death sentence upon his subjects. When occasion- 
all}" an intimate friend of the ruler is appointed gov- 
ernor, the king- will add a knife as a present, transmit- 
ting thereby the power of passing- death sentence. 
Every prince, mayor or g^overnor having- this authority, 
keeps two executioners, uniformed in scarlet and walk- 
ing on before their master, whenever he promenades 
through the streets. 

Whenever a convict is to be executed, he is taken 
from his prison cell handcuffed and a chain about his 
neck, escorted by a g-uard of soldiers with fixed bayonets. 
He has probably spent several months in his dung-eon, 
and naturall}" looks hag-gard and worn, unclean and 
unshaven, his clothes hanging- about him in rags. The 
executioner, in his scarlet uniform, walks a few steps in 
advance, a large sharp knife in his hand. Thus they 
proceed to the public square, and in presence of a crowd 
of eag-er spectators the victim is ordered to kneel down. 
The executioner now steps behind the convict and with 
a sing-le stroke of the keen blade severs the jugular 
vein, and another soul takes its flight, having com- 
pleted its part in life's drama. In some places criminals 

-79- 



are executed b}^ bur^^ng- their whole bod}-, their head 
only excepted, in a casket of cement ; this soon will set 
and harden around the body, and soon cause death. 

An intoxicated Mohammedan, when found on the 
street noisy and abusive, is arrested, a cord or twine 
several feet long- is drawn throug-h the dividing mem- 
brane between his nostrils, and he is led publicly along- 
the street by the executioner. The culprit soon g-ets 
sober, and is very much ashamed. As the executioner 
passes along- the streets with him, shop-keepers g-ive 
small sums of money to the former. 

Men of a very quarrelsome and combative disposition 
are punished by having- their feet tied to a post with 
the bare soles upward. These are then whipped until 
they bleed profusely, and sometimes the nails are torn 
from the toes. This frequently causes the victim to 
swoon away, becoming- entirely unconscious under this 
terrible maltreatment. 

Christians and Jews according- to Persian law are not 
subject to decapitation, as they are considered unclean 
by the Mohammedans and not sufficiently worthy of this 
privileg-e. The most severe punishment is when a prince 
is deprived of his eyesig-ht. Lords and counts are exe- 
cuted in two ways : the Shah will send him a bottle of 
sherbet, which is a sweet drink, but in this instance 
contains a deadly poison, and which he is compelled to 
empty ; or the governor dispatches a servant to wait 
upon the criminal while taking- his bath, and in doing 
so has orders to cut the veins in the criminal's arms and 
cause him to bleed to death. 

What a contrast in the modes of punishment and 
their application between Mohammedan and Christian 
countries ! The kind of punishment inflicted on crim- 
inals in any country is truly characteristic of the pre- 
vailing- religion. A religion based upon love and charity 



-80- 







I. ADAMS, IN NATIVE COSTUME. 



will deal with its criminals effectively, but humanely 
and not in a barbarous manner. 

Climate and Products. 

The g-reat extent of the country naturally implies an 
extremely varied climate. Cyrus the Great made this 
remark regarding- the climate of his empire: "The 
people perish with cold at one extremity, while they are 
suffocated with heat at the other." 

Persia may be considered to possess three climates : 
that of southern Dashtistan, one of the elevated plateau, 
and a third of the Caspian provinces. The spring and 
fall of the year are rainy seasons, but perfectly beauti- 
ful, while the summers are long, dry and hot, but not 
unpleasantly so excepting at midda3\ The atmosphere 
is clear and pure at all times. 

The cultivated soil of Persia, wherever there is an 
abundance of rain or a possibility of irrigation, produces 
an immense variety of crops. The best wheat on the 
surface of the globe is grown here, other characteristic 
products being barley, rice, cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, 
millet, potatoes, sweet corn, cabbage, and all other gar- 
den vegetables found in other countries. 

Great care has been taken to have brooks and streams, 
whether natural or artificial for the purpose of irrigat- 
ing the land, lined on both sides with shade trees. This 
is most especially the case in Oroomiah Plain, so that this 
part of Persia has been named by travelers the Paradise 
of Persia. Wooded lands are found south of the Cas- 
pian Sea and one large forest in the vicinity of Shiraz. 
These forests are of very dense growth and contain 
oak, beech, elm, walnut, sycamore, ash, yew and juniper 
trees. 

The mineral wealth of Persia is as yet undeveloped, 
excepting some modest efforts in coal, copper, iron and 
lead mining. The forests of the Elburz Mountains are 

-81— F 



infested with wild animals, such as woh^es, tig^ers, jack- 
als, wild boars, foxes, and the Caspian cat. Deer of 
every variety inhabit some of the mountains ; lions and 
leopards are found in Mazandaron. Among- the domes- 
tic animals are the horse, camel, buffalo, cow, ass, 
donkey, mule, sheep, dog-, cat, etc. Persia is the home 
of the famous fat-tail sheep and produces also the much 
coveted lamb fur worn by ladies and called the Persian 
fur. Here also are found fine Arabian horses which 
ma}^ be termed the Oriental limited passeng-er trains or 
flyers, while the donkeys, mules and camels perform in 
the east the functions of western freig-ht lines. Persian 
horses have always been celebrated as the finest in the 
east ; they are larg-er and more handsome but not so 
fleet as those of Arabia. Sheep are one of the main 
sources of wealth in the country. 

Among- the flowers in Persia are the manig-old, 
hollyhock, white lily, violet, tulip, chrysanthemum and 
roses of many kinds. The latter are cultivated in fields 
for the trade and the manufacture of ''g-olab" or ottar 
of roses. 

Poultry is g-ood and plentiful. There are fowls, 
g-eese, ducks, turkeys, g-uineas, partridg-es, quails, doves, 
pheasants, as well as hawks, flaming-os, crows, swans, 
storks, herrons, owls, cuckoos, hoo-poes and bul-buls or 
ni^hting-ales. 

Cities like sing-le dwelling-s are surrounded by hig-h 
earthen walls about six feet thick and twenty feet in 
heig-ht. The g-ates within these walls are open during- 
the day, but at 8 o'clock in the evening- the}" are closed. 
No person can enter or leave the city after this hour 
and the people within the city walls mig-ht as well 
remaili in doors, as the streets are shrouded in utter 
darkness, there being- no system of street lighting- what- 
ever. Besides this no person is permitted to walk the 
streets after 9 o'clock p. m. When a nig-htwatch or 

—82- 



g-uard (equal to our patrolman) happens to meet any one 
on the street after this hour, he will compel him to 
patrol the streets with him all nig-ht long-, thumping 
and jerking- him about and occasional!}' striking- him in 
the neck or on the back unless he g-ives him some 
money. At 5:30 in the morning- the wanderer is con- 
fined in a prison cell where he will have to remain until 
a ransom has been paid for him, the amount of which is 
determined by the chief of police. Persons whose duty 
or calling- make it imperative to g-o out upon the streets 
after 9 p. m., such as physicians, nurses, etc., can do 
so unmolested provided they have been careful to g-et 
the password from the mayor of the city. Such a pass- 
word is g-iven out to the city oificials by the mayor daily 
and any private person knowing- it proves thereby that 
he or she has permission to be out after the respective 
hour. 

The houses as a rule are built of sun dried bricks, 
but very few being- made of burnt bricks. The homes 
of the poor contain but one large room. Some of these 
houses have rooms built upon the flat roof, w^hich is 
reached by a flig-ht of stairs built on the outside. 
Wealthy people live in well built two-story houses. In 
cities the houses are built closely adjoining, so that it is 
possible to walk all over the city on the house tops. 
This is the common wa}^ of traversing in winter when 
the streets are impassable owing to slush and mud. In 
some of the large cities such as Teheran, the capital, 
Ispahan and Shiraz, modern street paving is being 
introduced. Streets have no names, houses are not 
numbered, no police patrolmen during the da}^ no city 
directory is to be found. All information must be ob- 
tained from persons you chance to meet and find able 
and willing to give it, or else canvas from house to 
house until you reach your point. There are no news- 
papers of any kind and of course no advertising is done. 

-83 - 



As you walk the streets you will hear the call to prayer 
when the Mollah, three times a day, stands on the roof 
of a minaret on a mosque and repeats the muezzin. But 
at times the throng- crowding- the narrow street is so 
dense as to prevent the Mollah from attending- to his 
duty. Then a lord or g-overnment official may be seen 
with a company of from 50 to 200 soldiers, as the case 
may demand, g'oing- up and down the street to open the 
way for him to pass. Kver}^ person must stand still and 
bowing- low push ag-ainst a wall when an officer passes. 
A refusal to comply with this custom would put anyone 
in dang-er of being- whipped to death. 

Only one line of merchandise is sold on any one bus- 
iness street. On one you will find only dry g-oods ; in 
another street nothing- but groceries ; a third contains 
iron, copper and silversmiths' shops, etc. The streets 
averag-e thirty feet in width and many are arched over 
with brick arches, to shut out the rain and the snow. 
These covered streets are lig-hted by opening-s in the 
arches. Camels, horses, mules and donkeys, heavily 
laden with g-oods, may be seen passing- throug-h the 
streets, and in the open squares many of these animals 
may be seen that belong- to strang-ers who have come to 
the city to buy or sell. At the entrances of some of the 
mosques one may see a Mollah or two, sitting- down and 
acting- as notary public, drawing- up legal documents for 
men standing around and before him. For such a docu- 
ment they get from ten to fifteen cents. 

In purchasing goods in Persia a foreigner is liable to 
be overcharged, as it is quite customary among dealers 
to advance the price on their goods to two or three 
times their real value, expecting to be obliged to lower 
the price before being able to make a sale. Silver and 
goldsmiths turn out some highly artistic work in the 
shape of rings, and belts for ladies. You cannot find a 
woman selling goods in a store or bazaar in all Persia, 



-84- 



with the only exception of one sing-le street in each city 
or villag-e, where poor old women and widows are fran- 
chised to sell such articles as caps, purse^, sacks, soaps, 
etc. Their faces, however, must be covered up entirely, 
with only two holes in the covering- for the eyes. Only 
a few women from the lower classes are seen in the 
bazaars shopping-, and they dare not have their faces 
exposed. No Christian is permitted to sell liquids such as 
milk, oil, syrups, or juicy fruit, like grapes, etc. Moham- 
medans are prohibited by law to buy things of this 
nature from a Christian, and, if on the other hand 
a Christian wishes to buy anything of this sort 
from a Mohammedan, he must not touch anything, as 
the merchant, should the Christian finally fail to take 
the goods, could never sell to a Mohammedan what has 
previously been touched or handled by a Christian. 

Thk Bazaar and Currency. 

The bazaars, which is a term including at the same 
time a salesroom, wareroom and manufactory^, are in the 
center of the city. They are open after six in the 
morning and closed at six in the evening. Friday is the 
Mahommedan's sabbath day or day of rest, and all 
stores are closed. Whenever the bazaars are open pass- 
ers by may see how g-oods are manufactured on a small 
scale. In the timber bazaar men saw boards with long 
hand-saws ; a little further on carpenters manufacture 
doors, windows and coffins. So it is in the bazaars of 
the hatter, baker, blacksmith, confectioner and restau- 
rant. Some are weaving cotton and silk cloths, carpets 
and shawls on hand-looms, though some of these goods 
are manufactured in villages and brought into the city 
for sale. Again, there are saddlers, turners, tailors, 
wood turners, etc. 



-85- 



^he Persian standard of weig-hts — - 

100 tniskals = 1 dirham. 

4 dirhams = 1 hef-ta. 

8 hef-tas = 1 batman. 

4 batmans = 1 khon-ka-rie. 
10 batmans = 1 load. 
25 batmans = 1 khalivar. 

Copper and silver coins are in g-eneral use, while gold 
is scarce. Lately, paper money has been issued, both 
in Persian and Kng-lish languages, but has met with but 
little favor. The Russian currency is also in circula- 
tion to some extent. The exchange is regulated by 
Europe and India. The numerous Persian bankers, 
called sarafs, have their abodes within the bazaars. 
Kach saraf sits on a cushion in a small enclosure behind 
a little table covered with copper, silver and gold coins, 
for exchanging. These are of that kind whose tables 
our Lord Jesus overturned in the temple of Jerusalem. 
The mint at Teheran, established since 1878, was 
platted by Europeans but is now conducted by Persians. 

Table of Persian currency, and its value — 

5 denars = 1 gaz-beh. 
30 denars = 1 tem-bal. 
50 denars = 1 shah-hi = 6 tem-bal. 
100 denars = 1 yuz-al-tum = 2 shah-hi. 
500 denars ^ 1 penabad = 10 shah-hi. 
1,000 denars = 1 keran = 20 shah-hi. 

r Education. 

Every city or town has its schools for bo3^s, located in 
the mosques and conducted by mollahs. There are no 
schools for girls, as it is not considered good policy to 
enlighten the female sex too much by giving them an 
education, and perchance making them dissatisfied with 
their present station in life. The attendance at school 
also for the boys is voluntary, no one being compelled 
to send his boys if he should prefer to keep them at 

—86— 



home. Pupils pay the teacher all the way from five to 
twenty-five cents a month tuition ; but such as are too 
poor to pay anything- are admitted free of charge. The 
Mollah's sustenance is furnished him by the pupils 
daily in form of eatables of all kinds. These schools 
are attended by boys and youths rang-ing- from ten to 
twenty years of ag"e. Text-books for local history and 
poetry are in the Persian, the Koran and grammar are 
taught in the Arabic language ; mathematics, geogra- 
phy, science and general history are never taught. 

While preparing for their lessons, the pupils reel 
back and forth, repeat the words and sentences loud 
enough to be heard a long distance off. This they 
imagine to be an aid to memory. The teacher has 
authority to punish the pupil very severely. Parents 
will sometimes take a boy to school and deliver him 
over to the gentle keeping and care of the teacher with 
these words : "His bones are mine, but his flesh is yours. 
Teach him and punish him as you see fit." 

A post is planted in the school-room. To this an 
unruly boy's feet are tightly fastened, soles upward, 
and the soles are then belabored with heav}^ switches. 
This is, however, applied only to the most unruly and 
wilfullest. For milder offenses, the teacher raps pupil 
over the head with a long switch, which is alwa3^s kept 
in a convenient place or carried about with him by the 
teacher. Religious teachings are limited to quotations 
from the Koran and repeating the traditions about their 
prophets. The boys are generally very fond of reviling 
each other, and very quarrelsome. The teacher does 
not protect the weaker, but urges him on to return 
insinuations or blows. Frequently the pupils of one 
mosque attack those of another, regarding them as 
their enemies. The most prominent university of the 
Shute Mohammedans is in the shrine of Karballa. 



-87— 



All who wish to become Mushtaheds (see Priesthood) 
study at this place. In several large cities thej have 
schools of hig-her rank than the ordinary mosque-school. 
In these the pupils are offered a course of Persian liter- 
ature. We state with pleasure that the late Shah, after 
his visits to some of the European universities, has 
founded a college in his capital, which is called the 
abode of science. The French, English and Russian lan- 
guages are taught here, and the study of some modern 
sciences are being introduced. This institute, however, 
is only available to princes and sons of wealthy people ; 
it is only one pretty flower in the vast wilderness. The 
aim of Mohammedanism is to keep the masses ignorant, 
so that the priests may continue to rule over them. 
The entire priesthood, therefore, does not favor higher 
education. Some counts or lords send their sons to 
Paris, in France, to be educated, but the ordinary young 
man has no opportunities to acquire knowledge. 

AGRlCUIyTURK. 

Persian people are largely employed in agriculture 
and grazing. Farmers go a long distance to work. 
Oxen, cows and buffaloes are used in plowing the fields. 
The plow is similar to the fork of a tree, the point be- 
ing covered with iron or steel ; the soil is scratched up 
and loosened somewhat to a shallow depth. Plowing is 
done three times in a season ; then narrow ditches are 
drawn to divide the field and to irrigate it. The water 
from a river is turned into creeks to run the flouring 
mills, then divided into little brooks and streamlets and 
thus carried to the farms and fields. The seed is sown 
by hand, broadcast. Reapers or cradles are not used in 
harvesting, sickles or scythes taking their places. The 
blades of the agricultural implements are almost the 
same as those in the United States, but the handles are 
very small. A reaper cuts one handful of grain after 

—88— 



another until a g-ood sized bundle is cut ; this he then 
binds into a sheaf, before cutting- an}^ more, and so 
forth. A person passing a field where a farmer is at 
work will g-reet him by saying-, "May God g-ive you 
streng-th," whereupon the farmer will reply, "You are 
welcome; may God keep you." But should the former 
be of the nobility, the farmer will pick up a sheaf of 
g-rain and lay before the visitor on the road. This is 
answered b}^ the latter with a present of a few cents or 
whatever he may choose to g'ive, according- to his 
dig-nity. 

When the time for threshing- approaches the farmers 
have all the g-rain carried on horseback or by donke3's 
to the vicinity of the villag-e where the threshing- is to 
take place. Here the farmer takes sheaf after sheaf, 
unties it and throws it in a circle upon the bare g-round, 
in the open air. Muzzled oxen are then led across it 
ag-ain and ag-ain, or round and round in the circle, to 
tramp the kernels out with their hoofs. In some places 
they employ a sort of machine, consisting- of a roller 
about five feet long- and one and a half feet hig-h, with 
teeth or iron spikes spirally arrang-ed on it. Above the 
roller is a seat for the driver, and when the machine is 
drawn the roller turns. When all the wheat is threshed 
it is left in a heap and the farmer waits for a strong- 
wind ; then with wooden g-rain forks the grain is thrown 
into the air and the wind blows the chaff away, while 
the kernels fall to the ground. 

This is then carried to the mill, where it is ground 
into flour. 

Numerous orchards yield all kinds of delicious fruit. 
Mulberry tree orchards are carefully raised and tended 
for feeding silk worms; apricots are cultivated in large 
orchards and the fruit dried both for the home market 
and for export ; but a small part of the annual crop is 
kept for summer and winter use without cooking or 

-89— 



canning it. Large A^neyards employ thousands of 
people, and the grapes are probably among the best 
in the world and of endless variety, and the wine pre- 
pared from them is very palatable, not being at all 
adulterated. Large quantities of mollasses are also 
manufactured from grape juice, much of which is 
exported to Kurope, via Austria. Two kinds of raisins 
are made from the grapes: the kishmish and the sabja. 
A plastered or cemented surface on the slope of a hill is 
covered with grapes, which are then converted into 
raisins by raj^s of the sun. These raisins are called 
kishmish. Water, turned into lye by the addition of 
ashes from a thornbush or burnt vines, is boiled and 
grapes dipped into it. After this they are spread out 
upon the ground to dry for a week. The very choicest 
raisins are made from seedless grapes. A strong, spirit- 
ous liquor, called arac, is manufactured from raisins by 
distillation. 

A large part of the work connected with gTazing 
consists in attending to the milch cows, sheep and goats. 
The milking of the latter affords quite a comical aspect. 
The gate or door of the goat pen is so low that the goat 
must lower her head to enter. While in the act of doing 
so the head is grasped and held firmly by one woman 
while another milks the goat. All milk is heated forth- 
with and most of it is turned into matsoon and cheese. 
The matsoon or yogurt is a curd gained by putting 
rennet into the boiled milk and letting it sour for 
several days. From the soured milk butter is made in 
churns. These are of several kinds. A large earthen 
jar, somewhat shaped like an egg, is filled with cream, 
the opening closed with a piece of leather and the jar 
laid down upon one side, whereupon it is rolled back and 
forward on the ground. Another churn is made from 
the hollowed trunk of a tree. It is suspended in the air 
b}^ ropes and made to move similar to a swing. Cheese 



—90- 



is made by allowing- the whey to flow off without 
pressure. It is preserved by salt and sometimes mixed 
with herbs for flavor, and buried. 

Spinning- and weaving- dress goods, carpets and other 
fabrics are universal household occupations. Wool is 
carded by pulling it over a pair of long--toothed brass 
combs. Wool and silk are sometimes spun on a distaff, 
whirled by hand, but more frequently a spin-wheel is 
used, the spinner sitting upon the floor and manag-ing 
the thread partly with her feet. In many villages are 
little shops where silk is spun on a small machine. The 
cocoons are thrown into a caldron of boiling water 
mixed with milk. A man turns a wheel, about a yard 
in diameter, by means of a petal, and with one hand 
stirs the cocoons to loosen the fibre, while with the 
other hand he draws up the thread to be wound around 
the wheel. The refuse and stray fibres are spun by the 
women and made into head-dresses. In the orchards of 
mulberry trees, where the leaves are g-athered for feed- 
ing- the worms, the trees are kept trimmed so that each 
occupies but one square 3^ard of g-round. The seed 
worms complete their work in three months and are 
kept in the house during- the winter months. The 
annual silk crop of Persia, produced chiefly in the Cau- 
casian provinces, amounts to 600,000 pounds. 

Furniture is not in use in Persia, as people eat, sit 
and sleep on the floor, which is made of hard wood and 
covered with mattings and rug-s or carpets. Bedding- is 
spread out upon the floor for the night, rolled up and 
stowed away for the day. No knives and forks are used 
while eating-. Traveling- is done mostly on the back of 
animals and is very unsafe, the roads being- infested 
with Kurds, robbers and highwaymen. This accounts 
for the custom of traveling- in large companies called 
caravans. Passengers find no accommodations excepting 
at the caravansories, and even there nothing is fur- 



-91 



nislied, but the}^ must carr}^ everything- with them, even 
to a cup from which to drink, or a chair or rug upon 
which to sit. The only railway in Persia is a short 
line, twenty-four miles long-, from the Shah's residence 
to his summer resort. The public roads and hig-hways 
are in a deplorable condition, and very few carriag-e 
roads to be found. All merchandise is conveyed upon 
the backs of animals, these forming- long- lines in their 
journey across the dreary plains. 

Women are ig-norant and superstitious, morality 
among- them very low. But few can read, and almost 
all continuously smoke a kalion or water pipe. They 
are g-enerally married at the ag-e of 12 years and are 
reg-arded as very much inferior by their husbands. (See 
Social and Domestic Life in Persia.) 

Many manners and customs which we find mentioned 
in the Bible are still in vog-ue in this country at this 
present day; they still place the blind and crippled along- 
the wayside to ask for alms; they yet pray on the house- 
tops, and the salutations, traffic, building-, travel and 
farming- have -underg-one no radical chang-es in the last 
2,000 years. 

The Nobleman. 

The nobility of Persia lead a life of luxury. Such 
titles as counts and lords are not obtained by conspicu- 
ous service to the nation or country, nor by proficiency 
in knowledg-e and learning-, but by descendancy, and 
many an ig-norant and unworthy person bears them. 
Wealthy merchants also purchase them for their off- 
spring-. The titled class in Persia is very numerous. 
In a city of 60,000 inhabitants there are more than 500 
counts. Thev own the bulk of the Persian soil. In 
some instances one count owns as many as one hun- 
dred villages. The poor rayat or tenant must pay his 
landlord one-half or two-thirds of all the produce of his 

—92- 



farm. Aside from this a poll tax and a tax on his house 
must be paid. His cattle, sheep and g-oats are taxed, he 
must deliver unto his landlord two fowls, two loads of 
fuel, and a quantity of eg-g-s annually, and when his 
sons or daug'hters are married a marriag-e fee must be 
paid. His meadows and orchards are also taxed, and 
only the yoke of oxen with which he tills the g^round 
are excepted from taxation. But this is not all. He is 
literally at the mercy of his agha or master, a name 
which very correctly expresses the relation between 
landlord and peasant. The landlord legally may demand 
three days of labor from his rayat without paying- for 
it, but in reality he makes them work for him as much 
as he pleases. Whenever he pays a visit at one of his 
peasant's houses, he simply and unceremoniously appro- 
priates whatever he condescends to find worthy of 
taking". The peasant is held to buy his g^rain and flour 
from his landlord and must silently pay for these thing's 
whatever price the master puts on them, even far above 
the market price. For the slightest offense he is sub- 
jected to severe chastisement, being- even ordered by his 
master to be tied and cruelly beaten. 

And to all this and even more and worse outrag^es 
must the poor peasant submit, for fear of still g-reater 
persecutions in case of complaint. Christians have 
more to bear than Moslem neighbors ; they are inferior 
beings — "infidels," "Christian dogs." The meanest 
Mohammedan is considered better than they. A Chris- 
tian may not eat with a Moslem ; he must not enter 
their houses with moist clothing. If struck by a Mo- 
hammedan he dares not strike back. In the courts he 
is not considered their equal ; his life and property are 
not equally secure. Should a Mohammedan, for exam- 
ple, take a fancy to the daughter of a Christian, even at 
the tender age of 7 or 10 years, he will take her to his 
harem. An appeal to the governor would avail nothing, 

-93- 



as it would simpl}^ be answered by the statement that 
she has declared to turn Mohammedan. She is lost to 
her family and relig-ion forever, and should the parents 
ever so much argue that the child is too young- to decide 
upon her own relig"ion, or that she in all probability has 
been cajoled or frig-htened into making- the chang-e, or 
should the parents plead ever so much to be allowed an 
interview with her for just a few moments — she remains 
where she has been taken and g-rows up an inmate of a 
harem ! 

By Persian law all converts to the Islam may claim 
a lion's share of their father's estate. It therefore pays 
indig-ent Mohammedans well to entice young daughters 
of well-to-do Christians away from their homes. 

Here is another instance : The governor demanded 
from a merchant an amount far in excess of the just 
taxes. The merchant refused. The result was that the 
governor took away all his property. To seek redress, 
the merchant petitioned the Shah and graciousl}^ re- 
ceived a royal order to the governor to have his posses- 
sions restored to him. Full of cheer and good hope the 
merchant traveled back and presented the written order 
to the governor. After reading the decree the governor 
looked keenly at the man for a moment, and then ex- 
claimed, derisively: "Ha! You thought you could 
frighten me by reporting me to the Shah ! You are 
indeed a brave man. Little did I expect you to be a 
man of so much courage. But so brave a man must 
needs have a brave heart. This brave heart of yours I 
must see, so as to learn courage from it." Then in a 
subdued tone he gave the order to his servants : "Take 
out that man's heart ! " The servants immediately fell 
upon the merchant, slew him on the spot, tore out his 
heart and presented it to the governor on a tray. 

The most common and most painful form of torture 
now in use is Persia is the bastinado. 



94— 



BaSTINx\DO. 

The mechanical part of a bastinado is a pole, called 
a ''Pellek," about eig-ht feet in length, with a transverse 
handle at either end and loops of rope or leather in the 
middle. The man to be bastinadoed is laid back down- 
ward on the ground and, after his shoes and stockings 
are removed, his feet are passed through the loops. 
The pole is held by two soldiers at nearly the length of 
the man's legs from the ground, and by them it is turned 
until his ankles are so tightly secured that he can- 
not writhe out of them. In turning the pole the soles 
of the feet are brought upward, making them a fair 
mark for the flogger. Close by will be a large number 
(usually hundreds) of sticks with which the victim's feet 
are to be beaten. They are ordinar}' willow wands five 
or six feet long. The bark is left on, and the willows 
are kept wet to prevent them from breaking easil3\ 
Two or more expert floggers, clad in scarlet coats, 
bound in black, the uniformx of the Shah's executioners, 
take their places near the pole, each armed with a stick 
with which they in turn 

Belabor the Victim's Soles 

until the stick is broken. Before the thrashing is com- 
menced the victim is adjured to confess. If he does not 
the torture is kept up until he does, or until the supply 
of sticks gives out. Often 200 and 300 sticks are worn 
out before a confession is secured, although the torture 
often results in death, if the victim is aged or sick. All 
Persians are liable to this punishment, from the prime 
minister downward. The minister of finances was on 
one occasion given 400 lashes. 

The bastinado is by no means the only mode of tor- 
ture used in Persia to make criminals confess. Needles 
are run under the finger-nails of some prisoners until 
a confession is extorted, and it is a practice to cut 

—95— 



g-ashes in the soles of a prisoner's feet, inserting- therein 
broken g-lass, so that it is impossible for him to run 
away. Such punishments have been in vog-ue for ag-es, 
notwithstanding- the fact that the late Shah years ag-o 
issued a firman prohibiting- the torture of criminals. 

Disfiguring Kvii.-Dokrs. 

For ordinary crimes in Persia, the punishment is 
personal disfig-urement. The evil-doer who is caught in 
his evil-doing- is marked for life. For a first offense at 
hig-hway robbery, the prisoner may lose some of his 
fing-ers. For a second offense he is likely to lose a 
hand. The traveler passing- throug-h Persia for the 
first time is astonished at the number of maimed and 
half-blind men whom he meets on the caravan trails. 
The writer has seen one man in Persia who, as a result 
of persistent wrong--doing-, had lost a hand, a foot, an 
ear and an eye. With all that he was pointed out as a 
person to be avoided. 

Apart from the affliction of pain as a means of 
extorting- confessions, there is another well defined 
reason for the torture of criminals. It is intended that 
corporal punishment shall be a warning- and an example 
to other evil-doers. It is for this reason that the sev- 
ered hands, fing-ers and ears of convicted men are thrown 
into one of the principal streets to horrify men g^oing- 
about the ordinary affairs of business. 

How THE Hkads are Cut Off. 

Decaptiation in Persia has lost some of its old-time 
picturesqueness. In thinking- of a decapitation, one 
naturally pictures a scene in which the executioner, 
posed in a theatrical attitude, swing-s aloft a g-littering- 
scimetar, and with "one well-directed blow" strikes off 
the victim's head. In Persia today one finds that sort 
of thing- only in picture-books imported from the 








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Christian west. As a matter of prosaic fact, the victim's 
head is hacked off with a short knife. To be even more 
exact, the head is very rarely actually hacked off. 
Usually the executioner is satisfied with hacking- open 
two or three larg-e veins of the throat, and letting- his 
man bleed to death. The traveler loses a g-reat many 
illusions in a journey throug-h Persia, and this is one of 
them. 

Counts and lords are the most immoral class of people 
in all Persia. They are illiterate, know nothing- of 
g-eog-raphy, mathematics or political economy, thoUg-h 
most of them can read and write their own lang-uag-e 
and have a limited knowledg-e of local history. It is 
not at all surprising- that such indolent, voluptuous 
people g-row immoral, for among- them it is considered 
a disg-race to do work of any kind. 

Teheran, the capital of Persia, is called the "City 

of the Shadow of God," the "Footstool of the King- of 

King-s." It has no g-lorious past to boast of. Thoug-h 

the neig-hboring- plains contain mounds and ruins of 

g-reat cities, it was only in the latter part of the past 

century that Teheran emerg-ed from obscurity. The 

first records describe it as a villag-e of underg-round 

hovels, affording- a retreat from the summer heat or 

from the ravag-es of plundering- hordes. She was chosen 

as the capital of Ag-a Mohammed Khan, the founder of 

the present Kajar dynasty. His preference for it was 

undoubtedly owing- to its proximity to his own tribe in 

Mezandaran. Now, Teheran has assumed the position 

of the political center of central Asia. Here the leg-a- 

tions of Eng-land, France, Russia, Germany, Austria, 

Holland, Turkey and the United States represent their 

respective countries and spin the webs of their political 

intrig-ues. 

In a century Teheran's population has increased from 
15,000 to 200,000 inhabitants. Owing- to its modern 



growth, it has also partaken of a European element 
more than any other Persian city, and is more influ- 
enced by western ideas. The old style is yet noticeable 
in the hig-h walls and deep moat surrounding- the entire 
city. On each side of it are two larg-e, well built and 
handsomely ornamented gates. On the other hand, 
broad avenues, well paved and bordered by shade trees, 
houses of modern architecture, embassy g-rounds, laid 
out after the pattern of an Kng-lish park, phaetons and 
carriag-es, teleg-raph poles, tramways, g-as and electric 
lig-hts in the streets, drug- stores, photog-raph g-alleries, 
strong-ly attest that western life has invig-orated the 
stereotyped east. The bazaars also, while presenting- 
the same g-eneral characteristics as in other cities, have 
wider aisles, and enjoy more of the much-needed sun- 
lig-ht. They are well stocked with imports, and those 
which deal in European g-oods attract the briskest trade. 
The royal palace is surrounded by high stone walls. 
Four beautiful g-ates afford entrance to the grounds. 
On the sides of and above the gates the walls are 
adorned with the pictures of former kings and brave 
generals, and skillfully carved with lions' heads, the 
standards of Persia, and birds. The park-like grounds 
are beautifully arranged and kept; all the drives and 
walks lead to the Shah's palace, situated in the center, 
and are gorgeously ornamented with decorative trees 
and hedges of roses of varied hues. Numerous officers 
of superior rank guard the entrances and the walks and 
avenues that lead to the palace, those nearest to it ever 
standing with drawn sword. While hearing a case or 
passing judgment the king sits on his " peacock throne " 
surrounded by his cabinet, consisting of six advisers. 
His de(!isions, however, are absolute and may at any 
time overrule the opinion of his cabinet. This body 
forms the legislature of the country. The members of 
it appointed by the Shah, the people having no voice 



whatever in g-overnmental affairs. Whenever the Shah 
feels tired his secretary reads to him from the "Sana- 
meh," a poetical history of Persian king-s. It is one^tf 
the Shah's duties to make himself thoroughly acquainted 
with Persian history and the history of her former 
rulers. On retiring- at nig-ht the entrance to the Shah's 
private room is g-uarded by two trustworthy of&cers 
with unsheathed swords. One of the four g-ates in the 
wall around the palace is called the Shah's g^ate, as he 
always enters throug-h it. No other person, be he lord, 
count or hig-h official, is permitted to pass through this 
gate on horseback or in a vehicle. He must dismount 
and walk through. 

When the Shah goes from the palace for a chase or 
on a vacation, he is escorted by a large retinue, headed 
by about thirty footmen, each bearing a golden staff and 
shouting : ' ' Disperse, disperse ! " Hereupon the passage 
is immediately cleared so that the royal cavalcade may 
pass unmolested. The footmen are followed by about 
fifty men on horseback with drawn swords; next come 
ten or twelve riderless Arabian steeds dancing along, 
beauties of their race, adorned with bridles of gold 
studded with precious stones. 

The Shah of Persia is in possession of the greatest 
and most valuable collection of jewels on the globe. 
These may be inspected in his palace, where they are 
heaped up in glass cases like tea or rice. His "peacock 
throne," which was brought from Delhi, India, by King 
Nadirsha, who captured that city about 200 3^ears ago, 
has been estimated at $12,500,000 some years ago, and 
has risen in value since then. It is made of solid gold 
inlaid with diamonds, pearls and other jewels. The 
rug upon which the Shah prays is valued at $2,500,000. 
He has a tobacco pipe worth 8500,000. His table is 
furnished with all the luxuries and good things in the 
land. There will be perhaps fifty or more different 



^99- 



dishes served at one meal. When the Shah sits down 
to partake of some food he will g-lance over all these, 
but only touch or nibble from one or the other food, yet 
all the different courses must be prepared. From the 
time of the purchase until it appears upon the table, all 
food and drink is examined by two trustworthy inspect- 
ors, whose dut}^ it is to see that the ruler is not pois- 
oned. Ag-ain the food is inspected by the Shah's physi- 
cian before eating- a meal. 

/ Persian law is divided into two departments — the 
Shahr and the Urf. The former is administered by the 
MoUahs, or priests, and is based upon the Koran. The 
latter is the oral law administered b}^ secular judg-es, 
who decide cases to equity and traditions, or precedents 
orally handed down. 

As the Urf is administered independently of the 
Shahr, an increase of powers would g-radually result in 
the extinction of the latter. It is undoubtedly the aim 
of the government to bring about such a change, as one 
of the most important factors in promoting- the eleva- 
tion of Persia to the plane of modern progress, but any 
effort in this direction can be pursued only with great 
shrewdness and caution, for the MoUahs are naturally 
violently opposed to any abridg-ement of their power. 
In a g-eneral way the Urf takes cog-nizance of criminal 
cases and the Shahr of civil ones. The criminal is tried 
before the hakem or ket-hodah of a town or village; in 
the awarding- of penalties,' however, he follows the 
rules prescribed by the Shahr so far as they have not 
passed into desuetude. 

Sometimes a criminal case is appealed directly to the 
g-overnor of the province or to the Shah himself. This 
is especially the case if one of the parties involved is in 
any way connected with the g-overnment. The Shah or 
the governor concerns himself little with the law in 
such events, but decide at once, and with a word, a 



g-esture, decrees retribution or reward. But althoug-h 
all questions not of a civil nature are by custom rele- 
g-ated to the decisions of the Urf, it is not uncommon 
for the judg-e to allow a case to be appealed to the Shahr 
when it is of special dif&cultj, or when the rank of the 
party is such as to make him dread the consequences of 
his decision. An}^ decision rendered by the relig"ious 
expounders of the Shahr is accepted without demur as 
final ; the sacredness of the Shahr and the sanctity of 
those who administer decisions based upon it make it 
impossible to dispute the decisions of that aug-ust tri- 
bunal. While, therefore, the Urf occupies a prominent 
place in the administration of justice, the Shahr 
continues by far the most important leg-al author- 
ity of the land, and it is by a study of that code and the 
methods of administering- it that one can alone form an}^ 
correct conception of the administration of justice in 
Persia. 

The Shahr consists of a vast collection of dicta ap- 
plying- to every conceivable situation in life. Like the 
theocratic codes of other Mussulmans it is based on the 
Koran, but diifers from them in the fact that it is en- 
larg-ed and fortified b}^ the opinions of the twelve Holy 
Imams, these Imams being- considered by the Slieahs to 
be the true caliphs and their opinions having- scarcely 
less weig-ht than if delivered from the Almig-hty. 

Karly in the rise of Mohammedism it was the custom 
of the disciples of the Prophet to have recourse to him 
for explanation or expansion of the vag-ue declarations 
of the Koran. After his death these commentaries were 
g-enerally transmitted orally, and were called traditions, 
becoming- in time very voluminous, so that it was neces- 
sary to reduce and codify them, adding- opinions reg-ard- 
ing- the more obscure enactments. Hence the authority 
of the Holy Imams. The code of Persia treats of relig-- 
ious rites and duties ; of contracts and obligations ; of 



-101— 



matters relating- to the person; and of laws relating- to 
cheese, meats and drinks, leg-al procedure, and the 
specification of penalties both from a relig-ious and a 
civil point of view. Many of the laws of the Shahr are 
based on sound reason, and in their application are not 
unlike the laws of other countries. 

Some of the features of the Shahr are as follows : 
Any man is forbidden to say his prayers in the presence 
of any women who, either at his side or before him, are 
also praying-, whether praying- tog-ether with him or 
alone ; and without reg-ard to the character of the 
woman, whether she be wife or within the forbidden 
deg-ree of kinship, or a strang-er. If the woman is be- 
hind the man at such a distance that in prostrating- 
herself she cannot touch his feet, then the man also 
may do his praying-. 

One should avoid praying- before an open fire, before 
the painted or g-raven fig-ures or imag-es of animate ob- 
jects, or the stable of horses, asses or mules; but it is 
permitted in a sheepfold. One is forbidden to pray in 
an apartment wherein there is a fire-worshiper ; the 
presence of a Christian or a Jew is unimportant. One 
should avoid having- an open book before him, and 
should not pray before an overhang-ing- wall or in a room 
where there is a pot de chambre. 

"He who is dumb must wag- his tong-ue while men- 
tally repeating- his prayers. The spot where the fore- 
head should touch (during the g-enuflections of prayer) 
should be on the same horizontal plane on which the 
feet rest ; nevertheless, one may exceed this line by the 
thickness of one brick or more." 

Such are a few examples of the 549 laws respecting- 
relig-ious worship. The regulations concerning fasting 
and pilgrimage number no less than 1,012. 

The law of sales includes 625. 



—10^ 



"It is permissable to sell a piece of cloth or of land 
simply b}^ a general exhibition of them to the purchaser, 
without oblig-ing him to make a minute inspection." 

Proof by taste or smell is indispensable when the 
object of sale is eatable or smellable. Articles of such 
a nature that they cannot be tested without breaking- 
them — such as nuts, melons or eg-g-s, may be sold in 
iarnorance of the condition of the contents ; and in the 
event of the purchaser finding them defective, he has 
the rig-ht to interest and damag-es, but not to a return 
of the article. 

"It is not permitted to sell fruits on the tree before 
they are shaped, that is, before the kernel is formed, 
but when they have reached that state they may be 
sold. 

"After it is matured, fruit may be sold with or with- 
out the tree. It is not permitted to sell the fruits g-reen 
in color (at maturity) before they become g-reen. 

It is recommended to the purchaser of a slave to 
chang-e his name ; to cause him to eat sweetmeats at 
the time, and to offer alms. One should avoid counting- 
or weig-hing- the purchase money for a slave in his pres- 
ence. Slaves are thoug-ht a g-reat deal of in Persia. As 
a rule masters are very kind to them, so that not seldom 
one may hear a master addressed by his slave with "My 
father," and the master in replying- will call him "My 
son." Slaves are well taken care of in clothing- and 
nourishment. They differ in color and value. The 
"Habshi" are the most expensive ; the "Somali" rang-e 
next in price; the Neg-ro, slave being- the cheapest in 
price, and only employed as cooks. One g-ood "Hab- 
shi" will bring- $250; a good "Somali," $150, while the 
market price for the best among- the Negro slaves, 
which are taxed according to their strength, is but S70. 

Not less than 1,412 different chapters are used in the 
Shahr for subjects on marriage and divorce, besides a 

—103- 



larg-e number on concubinag"e, slaves and rearing- of 
children. 

The prophet hath said, "Marry and establish a 
family;" the most wicked among- the dead are the celi- 
bates ; he who desires to contract a marriage should 
seek after a woman combining four requisites : legiti- 
mate birth, virg-inity, prolificness and chastity. One 
should not be content with beauty and riches ; it is even 
forbidden to marry with these points alone in view. 
Marriag-e should not be consumated while the moon is 
in the sig-n of the scorpion ; during- an eclipse of the 
moon ; on a day when there will be an eclipse of the 
sun ; at noon ; towards the end of twilight ; during the 
last three days of the month*; between dawn and sun- 
rise ; during- the first nig-ht of each month, excepting- 
the month of Ramazan ; during- the middle night of the 
month ; while on a journey; in a tempest, nor during- an 
earth-quake. 

When marriag-e is being- proposed to a maiden, her 
silence is equivalent to a consent. The consent of a 
widow, however, or a divorce, must be audibly pro- 
nounced to be leg-ally valid. Any man may form as 
many temporary marriag-es as he chooses. If the hus- 
band desires one of his wives to accompany him on a 
journey, the selection is made by casting the lot. Hus- 
bands are recommended to treat all their wives alike. 

Divorce is pronounced by a husband in the presence 
of not less than two witnesses. In doing this, one of 
three statutory formulas must be used, any other ver- 
sion, though expressing the intention ever so clearly, 
are invalid. He must either say "Knte talekun," (thou 
art divorced) or "Felanet talekun" (such a one is 
divorced), or "Hazee talekun" (this person is divorced). 
The Arabic formula must always be used. 

♦The last three days of a month are called el mohak, which sig-nifies the moon is 
below the horizon. 

—104— 



There are also three kinds of divorce, one by virtue 
of which the husband cannot take back the divorced 
wife; one with this privileg-e reserved; and the temporary 
divorce, for the purpose of proving- whether the woman 
is preg-nant by a husband from whom she was previously 
divorced. The irrevocable divorce is broug-ht about 
when a husband pronounces the formula of divorce upon 
a wife whom he has twice before taken as his wife 
ag-ain. The temporary marriag-e is an institution pecu- 
liar to Persia and abhored by all Mohammedans else- 
where. The Shahrs defend it on the plea that it was 
not prohibited by the Prophet, and consequently must 
be rig-ht, according to a fundemental principle of their 
law that whatsoever is not prohibited by law is allowed. 
The most important feature of the temporary matrimony, 
however, is the dowry paid by the husband; without 
this parents would scarcely permit their daug-hters to 
enter into it. Four conditions are indispensable to the 
leg-ality of such a marriag-e — the contract, the personal 
conditions, the dowry, and the stipulated time for which 
the marriag-e is contracted. The contract is leg-al and 
binding- only when it has been drawn in legal form 
before or by a Mollah. As to the duration of such a 
temporary marriage the law provides no limit, the 
matter being settled by mutual agreement; may it be 
for a fraction of a day or for ninety-nine years; it may 
even antedate the day when the contract is written if so 
desired by both parties. 

Penalties for fornication, adultery, sodomy and simi- 
lar vices are A^ery severe, lapidation being the most 
common upon repetition of the last named, and for the 
conviction of the first named even after the first offense. 
Not less than 395 chapters treat of the laws of pro- 
cedure. To administer the Shahr a judge must be of 
legal age, sound of mind, faithful in performing the 
duties of the Islam, of reputable life, of legitimate 



-105- 



birth, well instructed and of the male sex. He should 
also be endowed with a g-ood memor}^, for one who lacks 
this faculty is incapable of properly exercising- judicial 
functions. 

The principle which reg-ulates the Mussulman's con- 
nubial life he expresses when upon any occasion, but 
most often before his marriag-e he will say to his wife: 
"It is my privilege to love many women, and it is your 
duty to love only me. Now attend thou to thy duty and 
I will see to my privileg-e." Taking- a walk with his 
wife a Mohammedan would be disgraced should she gfo 
before him or by his side; she must obediently follow 
behind. For wife murder a man can be fined a sum of 
money, but the law will not find him g-uilty of homicide, 
as woman is not considered equal to man before the law. 
A man meeting- a woman anywhere in public or private 
will not salute her, but the woman is expected to g-reet 
him with a courteous nod. 

Priksthood. 

Men who expound and administer the Shahr are 
either Mushtaheds or Mollahs. The chief Mushtahed 
must have taken a course with the great Mushtahed of 
Kerbellah, near Bag-dad, who dwells ever at the tomb 
of Ali. The hig-hest Mushtahed in Persia, the chief 
justice of the supreme court, as it were, is at present 
Hag-di Mollah Ali. When he g-oes abroad he is mounted 
on a white mule and followed by one sing-le attendant, 
but the multitude disperses before him as if he were a 
supernatural being-. A word from him would hurl the 
Shah from his throne, or doom all Christians and for- 
eig-ners in the county. In his presence even the Shah 
stands. 

The Mushtahids are g-raded into four deg-rees, the 
fourth being- the lowest g-rade and numerically the 
strong-est. Their means of existence consists in drawing- 

—106— 



up legal documents, performing- marriag-e ceremo- 
nies and accepting- presents. For the marriag-e of a 
couple they charg-e a larg-e fee. Common people consider 
it a g-reat privileg-e to g-ive a present to a Mushtahid,- 
and a favor on his part if he accepts it. These men, in 
consequence, are g-enerall}^ very rich and own one or 
more beautiful palaces. Rich ladies feel hig-hly honored 
to be chosen as the wife of a Mushtahid. 

A Mollah's duty is to visit the sick, call on families 
and teach them prayers and make them familiar with 
the traditions, and conduct funeral ceremonies. Some 
also teach the bo}' s, who g-o to them daih^ for instruc- 
tion. Their meals are furnished by the pupils, each 
bring-ing- something- to eat for the Moll ah (usually choice 
morsels) ever}^ morning-. Besides this each pupil pays 
one dime tuition a month. In autumn the Mollah is 
provided for the winter by his parishioners, who bring- 
him a collection of grapes, apples, wheat, fuel, etc. He 
is hig-hl}^ respected among- the community and is alwa3's 
invited by some famil}' on holida^^s. He also draws up 
leg-al documents and letters for the people and receives 
as a remuneration from two to ten cents ; but he is quite 
often paid in the form of two or three eg-g-s, a basket of 
fruit, and the like. This is the poor Mollah's only 
income. Some have charg-e and do secular work for a 
living-, others recite Koran on the sepulchre of a lord, 
for which they are rewarded by the relatives of the 
deceased. I have seen a Mollah who recited Koran for 
fifteen years at the tomb of a noted army officer. 

There is yet another class of priests, more learned 
and more devout than the rest, who act as revivalists. 
On holidays, which occur quite frequently, the mosques 
are usually crowded with worshipers. Then one of 
these priests will mount an elevated pulpit very ostensi- 
bly, and in an impressive tone beg-in to read or repeat 
Koran. He will chant traditions on the lives and deeds 



-107- 



of tiie prophets and martyrs and relate pathetic stories 
of the noble sacrifice of departed heroes of faith. His 
charming- tones and imploring- utterances have much 
effect on his audience and men and women weep and 
strike ag-ainst their bosoms. 

Persia acknowledg-es Ali as the Caliph after Moham- 
med. The descendants of Ali are therefore held in hig-h 
esteem and rank among- the noblest families in Persia. 
They are called Say-yids (prophets or masters) and 
enjoy privileg-es denied other men. They are very zeal- 
ous in perpetuating- their own caste. From Ali's time 
they have kept a careful record of their g-enealog-y. 
This family record, called Sajjara, is handed down from 
father to son and serves as a credential to the Say-yid 
tribe. Kach family must possess a credential of this 
kind, at least 200 years old. Should it be worn by age 
and use, the heads of families may draft copies and duly 
certify to them. The Say-yid may be easily distin- 
g-uished by his g-arments. He wears a g-reen turban and 
girdle. Should a common man assume to wear such he 
would be severely punished. The Say-yid's turban is to 
him more precious than a king's crown ; it is the em- 
blem of his glory — the girdle a symbol of strength. 
Their rank is higher than any other in the country, and 
their high-priest is more honored than a prince. So the 
Say-yid rules over other men. He demands and receives 
their homage. In the assemblies of lords and influential 
men the Say-yid occupies a foremost seat and is always 
served first. Solemn oaths are delivered by their heads ; 
all men fear them, believing that their curse will surely 
come to pass. They are never smitten or reviled. 

If ever a Christian should raise his hand against a 
Say-yid, that hand must certainly be severed from his 
body. Say-yids are exempt from all legal punishment. 
Governors cannot impose fines or imprisonment on them. 
Should a Say-yid kill a common person, it would be 



—108- 



impossible to have him in turn suffer a death penalty, 
for this would be a sin ag-ainst God — for it is univer- 
sally believed that God created all other men for the 
sake of Mohammed and his descendants ; hence a Say- 
3'id's punishment must come throug-h the leader of that 
order. Man}' promises and vov^s are made to them. 
Parents having- a sick daughter will vow to marry her 
to a Say-yid, should she recover, believing- that God will 
take the disease away in the Say-yids behalf.' 

The Say-yids generally ride g-ray horses, and claim 
that all horses of that particular color belong to them. 
They conduct the large caravans, which start out annu- 
ally to worship the tomb of Ali. Their presence is 
supposed to protect the caravans from thieves and rob- 
bers. By virtue of their law, one tenth of all property 
is addicted to them. The majority of them do not 
work, but live well on the merits of their position as 
Say-yids, or holy men. The more noble among them 
will sit in their houses and receive tithes of fruit, coffee, 
tea and money, of the surrounding people. When these 
are not willingly given, a servant will be sent with 
authority to demand and take them. The less noble 
Say-yid will go in person to the houses, vineyards and 
gardens, and gather his portion. 

The Ordkr of thk Dkrvishks 

is one of the holiest orders among the Moslems. They 
are men who have voluntarily consecrated their lives to 
Allah and his Prophet. Parents in many cases dedicate 
their sons to the order. Quite often, childless women 
will vow to Allah to consecrate a son he will graciously 
give, back to him, by having- him enter into the order 
of Dervishes. This order numbers members from all 
classes of society, high and low, wealthy and indigent, 
even from the royal family. 



-109-^ 



A Dervish is expected to be and commonly is humble, 
kind and liberal, ready to do anyone a service. He 
suffers all sorts of hardships, self imposed, and leads a 
very humble life, for this to him is holiness. He is 
required to be well informed in all religious stories, 
traditions, and the Koran, and particularly in the 
poetical writings of the Maw-le-wi order, (which is 
their own order), founded by Au-wa-ri, the father of the 
Dervises. Some of the members know from one to five 
thousand of these sacred poems. The majority are 
sufficiently well educated to read, and in general they 
are the most faithful, honest and pure followers of Mo- 
hammed. Some are very intelligent and well educated 
and perfectly familiar with all their religious rites and 
rituals. On the other hand they are exceedingly super- 
stitious, fanatical and ambitious to propogate their 
religion, believing it to be a true religion. Their main 
occupation is to sit in the streets during the week days 
and tell stories, tales and traditions. Their poems 
glorify Mohammed and Ali, God's supremest creatures. 
One of these poems runs in this strain: "The first of 
creatures is Ali; the supreme of beings is Ali; the true 
Caliph of the Prophet is Ali; the Lord of all the world 
is Ali; the Lord of my soul is Ali." 

The Dervishes wear long hair and a pointed, orange- 
shaped cap, a cloak of patch work and a long white 
robe. In their right hand they carry a tomahawk or 
hatchet with a fancy handle; on the blade are some 
inscriptions consisting of passages from the Koran, or 
poems. In the left hand they hold a kashkul or recep- 
tacle for money donated them. A dozen or more may 
be seen on every street not far distant from each other, 
standing in front of the stores singing some poems for 
the praise of Ali in a loud voice, and with an earnest 
and enthusiastic spirit. Then he will pass his kashkul 
and the shopkeeper will drop into it some small coin or 



-HO- 



only a bit of sug-ar or g-ing-er. An}^ g-ift is acceptable. 
Sometimes the}' are called Kalander, which means 
humble and hoi}' men of Allah. They are exempted 
from tax and from military service. Many presents are 
g-iven to them by the people. The salutation is differ- 
ent from that among- common people. The first says, 
"Ya-ho" (O living- God); the response is, "Ya-mal-ho" ^ 
(O God, the Giver of life;" "Ya hak, Ya hak" (O truth, 
O truth). 

Among- Mush-ta-hids, two tithes are g-iven to those 
who excel in holiness, viz: Pish-Namiz and Imam-Juma. 
The former means mediator in pra3'er ; the latter, the 
prophet of holy Friday. 

They are indeed more devoted to their faith, and at 
the same time more fanatical in their hatred against 
Christianity. When one of these priests goes to the 
mosque, he wears a large turban on his head, a cloak of 
fur, a staff with gold or silver handle. He wears a long 
beard, which is painted black. Following him is a pro- 
cession of from fifty to one hundred men, mostly 
moUahs, or lower class who are faithful Moslems, 
Proceeding toward the mosque with slow and solemn 
tread, he is saluted b}' people of all classes along the 
street by their rising to their feet, crossing the breast 
with the arms and reverently bowing before him, utter- 
ing the words, "Sallam ali-Kun Agha" (peace be unto 
3'ou, sir). This service occurs on holy Friday. 

Women are not admitted in these most holy and 
solemn services. The Mush-ta-hid stands in the front 
part of the mosque, facing Mecca, and all the audience 
is back of him. As he advances in the prayer, all the 
people repeat what he prays. They imitate every 
motion he makes. When he kneels, they kneel. When 
he puts the ends of his front fingers in his ears, the 
entire audience does the same. They believe all prayers 



-in- 



prayed in that way are accepted throug-h his media- 
torial prayer. 

The people are called to the mosque to pray at day- 
light, noon and dusk, b}^ a priest who stands on the 
roof of the mosque. Calling- them the priest will g-o to 
the pulpit and take out of his pocket a piece of clay or 
wood from Mahomet's burying- ground, and laying it 
down on the ground will kiss it, turning towards the 
four cardinal points. While doing this, the congrega- 
tion will do this fifteen times, kissing the ground, then 
they will go to the service of reading and prayer. 

Reading- is largely from the Koran and other relig- 
ious books. 

The Moslem always washes with cold water before 
prayer. He will take ajar of water and say: "Bism 
Allah" (In the name of God I do this holy service). 
Then, dipping his right hand in the water, he rubs his 
arms from the wrist to the elbow, with the tips of his 
fingers he will wet his forehead and the inside of his 
ears, and the surface of his feet. Travelers in the 
desert use sand as a substitute for water. 

The worshiper must have a seal, a piece of clay or 
wood from Mohammed's burying ground, the size of a 
dollar; on it are written the words, "There is no God 
but God." Facing Mecca, he puts the seal on the ground 
and standing erect he raises both hands to his head, 
kneels to the ground, puts his brow on the seal, then 
kisses it. Rising to his feet he puts both index fingers 
in his ears, and makes numerous other gestures. 

The common place of prayer is the mosque, but few 
of the Moslems pray there, as they prefer praying in 
the streets, open squares and in meadows before mosques 
where they will be seen by more men and can better show 
their piety and integrity. In the midst of his prayer he 
will stop and speak a few words to the surrounding 



— U2- 




o 

Q 

05 

CO- 



people as a religious custom, or to revile children whose 
noise while at play may have interrupted him. 

The official pra^^er of Islam, which is used through- 
out all the Mohammedan countries and is daily repeated 
in the Cairo University by ten thousand Mohammedan 
students from all countries, reads thus : 

"I seek refug-e with Allah, from Satan the accursed, 
in the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful. 
O Lord of all creatures, O Allah, destroy the infidels 
and thine enemies, the enemies of religion. O Allah, 
make their children orphans and defile their abodes. 
Cause their feet to slip. Give them and their families, 
their children, household and woman and relations by 
marriage, their brothers and friends, their possessions 
and their race, their wealth and lands as booty to the 
Mussulman, O Lord of all creatures ! " 

Here are some of the commandments of the Koran : 

(1) They are surely infidels who say: "Verily God 
is Christ, the son of Mary." Koran, chapter 5. 

(2) O true believers, take not the Jews or Christians 
for your friends ; they are friends to each other ; but 
whosoever among you taketh them for friends, he is 
surely one of them. Koran, chapter 5. 

(3) War is enjoined upon you against the infidels, 
but this is hateful unto 3^ou ; yet perchance ye hate a 
thing which is better for you, and perchance ye love a 
thing which is worse for you ; but God knoweth and ye 
know not. Koran, chapter 2. 

(4) Fight therefore against them until there be no 
temptation to idolatry, and the religion be God's. 
Koran, chapter 2. 

(5) Fight against the friends of Satan for the strata- 
gem of Satan is weak. Koran, chapter 4. 

(6) And when the months wherein 3^e are not allowed 
to attack them shall be past, kill the idolators whereso- 
ever ye shall find them, and take them prisoners and 

-113- H 



besieg-e them and lie in ambush for them in every con- 
venient place. Koran, chapter 9. 

(7) When ye encounter the unbelievers strike off 
their heads until ye have made a g-reat slaughter among- 
them. Koran, chapter 47. 

(8) Ye are also forbidden to take to wife free women 
who are married except those women whom your right 
hand shall possess as slaves. This is ordained you 
from God." 

So you see they have for a guide in this life the 
Koran and the reward hereafter, Paradise. 

The Moslems have only one month of fasting called 
the ramazan. Their month begins with the new moon, 
but sometimes in some parts of the land it is cloudy and 
they cannot see the moon. So men will be appointed 
by the government throughout all the empire to watch 
carefully for the new moon, sometimes from the peaks 
of mountains. They will fast from one hour before 
sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, or till it becomes 
too dark for a man to discriminate between red and 
black thread. During this time they abstain from eat- 
ing, drinking and smoking. The poor class work till 
noon. The rich do not work at all. The most of the 
day is spent in reciting the Koran, praying in the 
street, for the Moslems might long to eat also, or even 
take a taste and thus break their fast. 

Boys and girls above 7 years must fast, while sick 
men are not compelled to during this month. How- 
ever, when they recover they are required to fast thirty 
days as soon as they are able. They do not converse 
much in the day, but wear a sad countenance. They 
do not allow a Christian to speak to them. At morning 
and evening in the cities a cannon is fired for the begin- 
ning and ending of the fast. During this month much 
alms is given. The lords and princes especially send 
meals from their* table. They believe fasting and alms 



-114— 



g-iving- will secure absolute forg-iveness of sins and 
admittance to heaven. The nig-ht is chang-ed to a feast. 
They eat and drink and converse till twelve o'clock. 
Then they retire, but are up again at three and eat and 
drink till one hour before sunrise. 

Death among- them occurs most often in that month 
because many eat too much. So many different meals 
hurt their stomach and they fall sick and die. 

While this fasting- is easy for the rich, as they can 
sleep all day and keep awake all nig-ht, it is a heavy 
burden to the poor, who must work during- the day, 
especially when the fasting- comes in the farming- sea- 
son. The month, however, in course of time has been 
changed. They are also strictly prohibited from doing 
much talking in this month of fasting that thev may 
not obtain much air. 

Many observe the fast faithfully, but often through 
fear of persecution. 

The pilgrimage is strictly commanded to Mohamme- 
dans. There are many places to be visited, but the 
most important is Medina ; 'tis the birthplace of Mo- 
hammed, and also his burial place. The second place is 
Mecca. This city is the most holy to all the Moham- 
medan world. Here is the old temple of the Arabs, 
the Kaaba, which w^as converted by Mohammed into a 
mosque. The third place is Karballa. It is situated 
near Bagdad, where the most leaders of the religion 
live. The fourth place is Mashhad. This cit}^ is situ- 
ated in the northeast part of Persia, in the state of 
Khorasan, near the Caspian Sea. This is the most holy 
city in Persia. Here many famous persons lie buried, 
as, for instance, the grandchildren of Mohammed. 

This mosque is richer than Mecca and Karballa. 
The dome is lined with gold outside and inside. Gen- 
erally each king of Persia makes expensive presents, 
but the most remarkable event in this connection was 

—1)5— 



200 years ag-o. Nadirshah, a powerful king- of Persia, 
who conquered India and despoiled Calcutta of its treas- 
ures, made a present to this temple of a crown of g^old, 
adorned with precious stones. 

Mohammedan law commands all to g-o to these holy 
places. Books of ceremony emphasize the importance 
of such pilgrimage. The hope of remission of sins is 
given to all visitors and they are thereafter called by a 
different name from ordinary men. Kveryone has confi- 
dence in them, and sometimes witnesses are called from 
this class of men. Their law is, every able man must 
go and God will provide for his family and afterward he 
will be rich. Kveryone who refuses to go is not a true 
Moslem and does not love his religion. 

Preparations for the journey are made by fasting and 
prayer. They must repent of every sin, and sometimes 
one sees men praying in various ways and it is easy to 
see that they are preparing for a pilgrimage. They put 
on a sorrowful countenance and walk about sadly, all of 
which is merely for vain glory. Kvery day they must 
wash and cleanse themselves and go to the mosque. If 
they are at enmity with any one they must first be rec- 
onciled before their journey will be recognized. Some 
days before starting some Say-yids will ride on blue 
horses with long spears in their hands. They will walk 
in the streets crying in a loud voice to all those who are 
to make a pilgrimage to prepare themselves and be 
ready on a certain day. Together with this command 
are uttered words of comfort and encouragement. They 
tell the people not to fear ; God will send, for the sake 
of Mohammed, His angels and prophets riding on blue 
horses, to deliver them from all robbers and thieves. 

One month before starting each man must make 
donations to the poor, according to his ability. The 
pilgrim goes to the leader to inquire what is necessary 
for him to do, and how to do it, that his pilgrimage may 



—116- 



be accepted. The priest will say, if the man is rich : 
"You found a mosque." If a man is poor, a small 
amount of money is required. Those who make their 
pilgrimag-e on horseback scatter money on the way for 
the benefit of the begg-ars and the poor. As the pilgrim 
sets out he is accompanied by friends for some distance, 
as a mark of honor to the faithful Islam. Before the 
band of pilgrims the leader rides, calling out in a loud 
voice, "Salawat." Not only the living, but also the 
dead shall go to these places. 

Sometimes when a stingy man dies who has not gone 
on a pilgrimage in his lifetime, he exacts a promise from 
his relatives that a certain amount of his money will be 
used to carry his body to the holy city. If this promise 
is not kept, the priest will compel his relatives and heirs 
to restore the specified money for sacred purposes. Thus 
one may see caravans with hundreds, even thousands of 
horses with the boxes containing corpses strapped to 
their backs, on their way to the holy places. 

When Death knocks at any door, the house is the 
scene of the wildest demonstrations of grief. Frequently 
the stillness of night is disturbed by the professional 
mourners. The near relatives tear their hair, scratch 
their faces, put on them mud and dirt, and often em- 
brace the lifeless body. 

Among the Moslems a death is announced by the 
Mollah from the housetop of the dead, by repeating cer- 
tain portions of the Koran, and in the case of a wealthy 
man or a noble this is done twice. The news of death 
is not sent to distant friends, even if it be children, 
parents or brothers, as there is no one who would be the 
bearer or sender of such -sad news. The burial follows 
rapidly, and in some cases people have been buried alive, 
as the passers by the cemeteries have heard voices, and 
when the graves have been opened it was found that the 
body had changed from the position it was placed in. 



—117— 



The body is taken first to a corpse-washing' house, located 
in close proximity to a morgue, or in his own house, 
where it is thoroug^hly washed with soap and water by a 
professional body- washer, who is accustomed to take a 
suit of the dead man's clothes for his pay. It is then 
rinsed with abundance of fresh water, after which water 
containing- camphor and spices is poured on the head 
three times, then often the entire body the same number 
of times, as a religious ceremony. A new white 
shroud is put on and wound around the body, completely 
covering- it from head to foot. It is then placed on a 
bier and carried to the mosque, where it is deposited 
with the head pointing- towards Mecca. The procession 
consists only of men headed by a Mollah, who repeats 
passag-es from the Koran on the way. Children's corpses 
are carried on a pillow and adults' on a bier. They are 
carried by different companies of men, who chang-e every 
few minutes, as there is a merit obtained in helping-. 

Two priests and the friends take such a position as 
to face Mecca. Then the whole company rattles off the 
Moslem prayer in Arabic, after which the body is car- 
ried to the cemetery. It is then taken off the bier and 
laid alongside the selected g-rave, as they bury without 
a cof&n. In the meantime prayers are said and the body 
is lowered and laid on its rig-ht side, the face made bare 
and facing- Mecca. A priest takes his place at the head 
and in a loud voice recites in Arabic, the other Mollahs 
continuing their prayers. When the man at the head of 
the g-rave begins reciting-, the grave dig-ger takes the 
left arm of the corpse and shakes it g-ently till the reci- 
tation is finished, in order to attract its attention to 
what the Mollah has to say. The g-rave is roofed over 
with stone about a foot and a half from the bottom, thus 
leaving the body in a small underground enclosure. 
They will also paint his or her face so they will look 
pretty, and fill the eyes and ears and the spaces between 



-118- 



the fing-ers and toes with cotton, to keep the devil away 
from the body. After the body is put in the ground the 
relatives take candies and fruits to those who attended 
the service, and the priest, after all are gone, will 
sprinkle the grave with holy water and will say to him 
who has died : "Give good answer to God and do not 
be ashamed, neither be thou afraid, because Mohammed 
is before God and is making intercession for you." 

They believe that, after all have gone away, he will 
arise and will wash his face in the holy water sprinkled 
on his grave, and will then be ready for judgment. 

Each Friday the Koran must be read at the tombs or 
graves of the dead. The friends and relatives will 
induce some one to go there and read the Koran every 
Friday. * In this case, several families may join together 
to obtain a man to go and read the Koran every Friday 
for some hours. 

Then after seven years or more, the bones will be dug 
out and put in boxes and prepared to be sent to Moham- 
med's burying ground. The object of these trips is to 
secure heaven for the dead, because the prophet said, 
"If the bones of a man should be near to mine, there 
will be no doubt of their resurrection with me on the 
last day; but if they are too far from my burying ground, 
then my power might not reach them, in giving them 
privilege of resurrection." Thus the people will do all 
in their power to send the bones of their beloved ones 
near to his burying grounds. 

Social and Domestic Life in PersIx\. 

The birth of a child is usually awaited with a great 
deal of agonizing anxiety. /At the announcement of 
the birth of a baby boy, the servants have a glorious 
time. They joyfully take the tidings to their master, 
from whom they are certain to receive gifts and hear 
good words. '^The congratulations of friends and relations 

—11')— 



will beg-in to pour in from all quarters to the happy 
father, and it will be an occasion for rejoicing- and fes- 
tivity. The father will deem it a privilege to entertain 
his friends as an expression of his personal gratification. 
Noise, festivity and music will fill the atmosphere with 
the echoes of a merry company. s^^Everybody is happy 
because a son is born, one who will succeed the father, 
keep up the family record and perpetuate the memory of 
the race. \ 

/IBnt when a daug-hter is born there will be no g'iving- 
of g^ifts, no festivity, no music and no entertainments. N. 
Everybody about the house, the very atmosphere will be 
doleful and gloomy, as thoug-h the mourning- over the 
loss of a precious child was already beg-un. The ser- 
vants dread to take the tiding-s to their master, realizing- 
the disappointment that will follow. /When the father 
hears the message he will be in a woeful condition. 
Taking- his pipe he will eng-ag-e in an endless pufl&ng-, as 
though thus to mitigate his sorrow. The poor mother's 
g-rief is most sincere and pitiful. She weeps bitterly 
when her friends come to. her, appreciating- her situa- 
tion. They address her with comforting- words and en- 
couraging prospects.N 

^ Both mother and infant will be the objects of hatred 
to the cruel father and the rest of the family. No word 
of comfort will be given to her by them. No kiss of 
affectionate love and no help in the time of pain and 
sorrow. \ 

/ It is the custom for the friends of the married couple 
on the wedding day to sincerely express their good 
wishes by repeating the common saying, "May your 
wedded life be long and peaceful with many sons and no 
daughters.") 

<;^The child is salted in the day she is born according 
to an ancient custom and subjected to the supersti- 
tions so carefully practiced among the women. If 



—120- 



it is a boy tio one can see his face for at least three 
months because the little thing- is so precious that per- 
adventure any one looking- on him he mig-ht die. \ 

A talisman will soon be broug-ht, on which are written 
prayers and verses from the Koran. This is to be fas- 
tened on the right arm or put somewhere near the body 
to preserve him from sickness and especially the evil eye. 
XNo mother allows anyone to praise her taby boy; will 
usually dress him in unbecoming- clothes and keep him 
dirty, fearing- if he should look too handsome and at- 
tractive, the evil eye mig-ht cause his death or illness; 
she will, however, do all that is in her power to make 
him comfortable. When he cries she is ready to rock 
him to sleep, sing-ing- the sweetest baby song's in his 
ears, and kissing- his precious cheek because he is a son 
and a precious g-ift of God^\ But the unfortunate little 
daug-hter will have no more attention than the domestic 
animal at first. At the end of seven days she will be 
put into a hard cradle, wrapped tightly in swaddling 
clothing. Sometimes she will not be moved for a whole 
day or night, and when she is removed it will be only 
for a little while. When she cries the mother is slow to 
attend to her, and at best the only thing the mothers do 
for them when they cry is to rock them in the rough 
cradle, which does not add much to their comfort, nor 
soothe them into silence. After a considerable amount 
of singing and harsh speaking most likely the mother 
will get angry and tired and leave the little creature 
alone to cry until it can cry no more because utterly 
exhausted. They bind the eyes of a child very tightly 
with a handkerchief for the first ten or fifteen days; this 
they suppose protects them from nervousness caused by 
seeing the light for the first time. Again they never 
take the girls out of doors for the first forty days and 
^.he boys for three months because they believe illness 
will be caused by the expression of surprise from the 

—121- 



people that see them for the first time. Ag-ain their 
eyes must be always filled with black powder, which 
they think keeps them from becoming- sore and makes 
them pretty when they are grown. 

As circumcision is practiced among- the Mohammedans, 
boys receive their names at the celebration of this rite, 
at the eig-hth day. But at the naming- of the g-irl, there 
is no relig-ious ceremony, and no reading- from the Koran 
or even praying- by the mollah. An old woman will be 
called to the house, who will take the girl in her arms, 
and, placing- her mouth to the child's ear, will call the 
name that her parents prefer in a very loud voice, repeat- 
ing- it three times, adding-, " This is your name." At the 
ag-e of 6, they will be put to work at home to help their 
mothers, and at the same time to learn what will be use- 
ful to themselves. They are taught sweeping, washing, 
cooking, making tea and preparing "kalaan," the water 
pipe, for the guests and parents ; and they will be 
expected to give good attention to all kinds of house- 
work. They will also be taught sewing, which is sup- 
posed to be the crowning attainment of any girl. They 
learn to do the most beautiful embroidery and hand- 
work, for which the Persian women have always been 
famous, and this is about all the preparation they can 
make for their future life as a married woman. 

All education is confined to the male sex only, and 
very seldom to the female, who might be the daughters 
of prominent lords and men. The customs that require 
the strict seclusion of females, prevents them attending 
school, consequently only a few wealthy families will 
supply special tutors for their daughters. This teacher 
generally is a mollah, who is a pious man, a very old 
man and nearly blind. As these blind mollahs know the 
Koran by heart, they make very good teachers. He will 
be permitted to go to the women's apartment in the house, 
and take a seat at one end of the room, while the pupil 



—122- 



sits at the other ; some elderly women will be present, 
while the teacher drills the pupils in reading- the Koran 
and explains its teachings to them. 

The common ag-e of betrothal for a g-irl is between 
the ag-es of 7 and 12 -very seldom over that ag-e ; but in 
many cases a g^irl is betrothed as soon as she is born, or 
even before her birth. I have known certain parties 
who were friends before their marriag-e, while sitting- 
tog-ether socially drinking, that one sug-g-ested to make 
a contract between them that, after they were married, 
if one had a son and the other a daug-hter, they would 
marry them — and the contract was fulfilled perfectly ; 
at present the young- man is dead, but the young- lady is 
still living-. In some places in the Kurdistan Mountains, 
the engag-ement will take place as soon as a girl is born; 
and in such cases they will take the girl in their home 
and care, and bring her up. The engagement ceremony 
will take place by first sending a private message to the 
girl's father, indicating their wishes. If the father 
favors the idea, the messenger will return with words 
of encouragement, and then the date of ceremony will 
be fixed. Then the father of the boy, taking a few rela- 
tives with him, with a ring and a pair of shoes, etc. 
and a great deal of candy and some other confectionery, 
goes to the home of the girl. After an elaborate 
salutation, they will be given seats and a general 
conversation will take place for about an hour, after 
which the father of the boy will mention the object 
of his coming, addressing the family with a few polite 
and appropriate words. The father of the girl, who is 
expected to decide the matter, at first will make no defi- 
nite answer, but will say,, "The girl does not belong to 
me, she has a grandfather who must be consulted first "; 
and then the grandfather will be addressed, and pressed 
for a definite answer. After a few moments of silence 
he will place the matter before the girl's uncle, and so it 

—12 5— 



will go tiie rounds of all the nearest relatives, each on6 
being" consulted in turn, just for the sake of ceremony 
and to make them feel good. At last, the question comes 
back to the girl's father for a definite answer, and he 
will say, gravely, " My daughter is like a pair of shoes 
for your son." That means, I am willing to make the 
engagement. Then it is the duty of the boy's father to 
kiss the hand of every relative of the girl who is pres- 
ent. Meantime, the ring will be carried to the ladies' 
apartment, where the girl is, and handed to the girl by 
an elderly woman, who, addressing her, will say, "Your 
father, your uncles and your brother have betrothed you 

to , and if you are willing to obey them, you can 

express it by taking this ring from my hand and putting 
it on your finger"; and the girl is always expected to do 
it — but I know of a case where a girl's desire was for 
another young man, and did refuse the ring, and then 
her uncle went there with a dagger in one hand and the 
ring in the other and said, "Choose the ring or the 
dagger," and she chose the ring. Then the presents will 
be offered to the girl, and the feast will be continued until 
late in the night. Thus the engagement is completed. 

The duration of the engagement varies greatly; some 
marry after six months, others more or less, and it even 
continues for five or six years. But the boy and girl 
have very little to say concerning the engagement ; in 
many cases they are too young to understand the mean- 
ing of it. There is no calling upon their sweethearts, 
or walking with them, nor are they together in society. 
It is improper for a girl to allow her sweetheart to see 
her, as the love of a Mussulman is measured largely by 
the beauty of a woman. A boy is naturally very anxious 
to see his future wife, and will often watch eagerly to 
meet her or have a word with her. 

The old women, who play an important part in these 
affairs, are always ready to stimulate a curiosity of 



-124- 



either party by pointing- out one to the other. Once or 
twice during- the eng-agement the young- man will be 
g-iven a half hour's intercourse with his sweetheart, but 
it must be in the presence of an elderly woman. 

One of the special features of Persian wedding-s is 
the extravag-ance. From the time the engag-ement takes 
place until the wedding- is over larg-e sums of money are 
being- spent continually by both parties, more especially 
by the brideg-room's family. The wealthy may not feel 
the pressure much, but there are some upon whom it 
bring-s a heavy burden of debt for life. Still they think 
it necessary because a man's character and g-enerosity 
are judg-ed by the style in which he marries his son. 

The g-reatest expense is what is called "parcha," the 
wedding- g-arments. A few weeks before the wedding- 
takes place both parties will send their representatives, 
and they will be eng-ag-ed for one, two or three days in 
making- purchases. Usually they buy from three to 
seven different suits for the bride, g-iving- but small at- 
tention to the brideg-room's apparel, as he is expected to 
see after his own. As the expenses must all be paid by 
the boy's father, the bride's party is naturally inclined 
to be lavish, while the other party, in seeking- to modify 
their desires, often raise quarrels of ill-feeling-. The 
expenditure sometimes amounts to hundreds of dollars, 
among- the wealthy. When the "parcha" is taken to 
the bride's home all the maidens from the neig-hborhood 
g-et tog-ether and help cut out and sew. Of course the 
larg-er part must be done by herself, if she is old enoug-h 
to understand dressmaking-, and by her mother. Very 
few people employ dressmakers on such occasions. 

A day or two before the wedding- the bridegfroom's 
people will despatch two or three men to the villag-es 
and towns of the neig-hborhood to invite all the 
friends, relations and respectable citizens. They 
carry with them candy and red apples, which are to take 



-125- 



the place of the engraved cards. Handing- a red apple 
or some candy to the family, they announce verbally the 
day of the wedding, adding- these words: "So-and-so 
sends his love to you and to your family and says, the 
wedding- is not my son's, but yours; come and bring- 
your family." Then, bidding- them farewell, they will 
g-o to the next neighbor and repeat the same thing- 
until their mission is fulfilled. If there is a grandee or 
official connected with either family, the boy's father 
has to g-o himself, carrying- a sheep or a quantity of 
sweets, and extend the invitation to him. In return he 
will receive the g-ift of a shawl or tailor-made coat for 
the bridegroom, with his excellency's g-ood wishes and 
permission to proceed with the ceremony. 

It will be interesting to mention that it sometimes 
occurs that some of those invited, from pique or ill- 
humor, will decline to attend the wedding ; then the 
father of the boy will g-o himself or send a near relative 
to pacify them and persuade them to come to the feast 
The weddings generally last from three to seven days. 

On the first day the invited g-uests will pour into the 
home of the bridegroom, which will be opened for their 
cordial reception. Everybody makes himself at home. 
Dancing, music, noisy drums and the uncontrollable ex- 
citement of the merry crowd will fill the air the whole 
of the seven days. The first three or four days are 
usually spent in feasting at the brideg-room's, while the 
bride's family are quietly going on with their prepara- 
tions for their daug-hter. The principal part of the 
entertainments on these days is eating-. The home will 
be thrown open for not only the g-uests, but for all the 
poor people and the beggars. Sometimes from five to 
ten sheep will be slain, or one or two oxen. Quantities 
of rice and other vegetables will be used. Three 
times every day this crowd of people will sit on 



-126- 



the floor around the long- tables to eat, of course with 
their fing-ers according" to the custom of the country. 

Dancing — Between meals they will go out to the open 
court, which is like an amphitheater, or if that is not 
large enough, out on the street to engage in dancing 
and singing, the women and children crowding the flat 
roofs of that house and neighboring ones to look at the 
dancers. The men hand in hand form a large circle, the 
one at the head, the leader, holding a richly colored 
handkerchief in one hand, and swinging it in the air, 
moves slowly around, the others following, while the 
drummer and flute player stand in the center of the 
circle making a violent noise. Gradually they begin to 
get excited and become more and more so until they 
jump and leap so rapidly that their feet can hardly be 
seen at all. When one is tired another takes his place 
in the circle, and thus they go on till noon. Sometimes 
a drum and flute will be exchanged for two good singers 
who sing love songs for the inspiration of the dancers. 
The women are not allowed to dance with the gentle- 
men. They can dance in their own apartments or when 
there are no strangers present. It is customary for each 
neighbor who is present at the supper table and meets 
with the strangers there to take from two to five of 
them home with him when the time for retiring comes 
and take care of them for the night. Thus lodgings 
are provided for a great many. Sometimes there will 
be none left at the bridegroom's house. Then early in 
the morning the drummers go about the street and sum- 
mon them back for their breakfast. 

On the third or fourth day they arrange to go after 
the bride. So-ne thirty or forty of the choicest young 
men, well dressed and armed, and if the bride's home be 
at some distance some of them mounted on beautiful 
horses march toward the house, where they will receive 
a cordial welcome. Everything has been prepared for 



-127- 



their reception, the villag-e people will come, and the 
feasting- will begin at the home of the bride. The 
bride's family generally look rather doleful during this 
part of the performance, probably on account of the ex- 
pense. The next morning the bride will be gorgeously 
decked in her wedding apparel in the women's apart- 
ment, a red veil taking the place of the black one for the 
day and covering the whole of her body. She is not 
allowed even to have the small openings to see through. 
Bidding her folks goodbye, she is put upon a horse 
saddled for her, and at this point begins a tremendous 
uproar from the crowd — yells, shouts, thundering of 
guns, etc. The bride is carefully protected from every 
danger by three men, a "koolam" servant holding the 
bridle and leading the horse and the other two holding 
her, one on either side. Thus the homeward march 
begins. Kach one of the young men belonging to the 
bride's escort carries a chicken in his hand which either 
he catches himself from the street or some friend catches 
and gives to him. This is called the bridegroom's bird. 
The procession advances as rapidly as possible. The 
city people often have these processions at night so that 
they can have the opportunity to make them more 
resplendent by fireworks, that is, by torches, etc. 

It was on such an occasion that the parable of the 
ten virgins was suggested to the Master. When 
they are near home a messenger is dispatched to 
carry the news of their approach to the bridegroom. For 
this he will receive some reward. The bridegroom then 
dresses himself in his wedding costume and, attended by 
his intimate companions, he goes out of his chamber 
looking as happy and gorgeous as the sun coming out 
of the chambers of the night. This part of the cere- 
mony differs a good deal in various parts of the country. 
In some places, the bridegroom and his staff just go a 
little distance to meet the bride. In other places, he 



-128- 




CARRYING WATER. 
REAPERS. (Page 134.) 




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I— t 

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1—1 

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g-oes out on top of the roof and waits until the bride 
arrives in sig'ht. Her horse will be led throug^h the 
multitude to a corner of the street directly opposite the 
bridegroom ; then he will shoot her with three red 
apples. Occasionally he aims too accuratel}^ and the 
poor little bride is struck and probably hurt by the red 
apples. Each shooting- of an apple is greeted by loud 
yelling- of the excited crowd. In some places it is cus- 
tomary to take the bride to the doors of the prominent 
people of the place and nearest relations, before going 
to her father-in-law's. This is considered a mark of 
respect to such persons, and at each home the family is 
expected to show their appreciation in some way. Some 
take a quantity of raisins and throw them upon her 
head, as a symbol of the "sweetness of the occasion," 
while others throw a great deal of copper money, a 
symbol of prosperity. The bo^^s especially enjoy this 
part of the performance and have a great time picking 
up the raisins and coppers under the horses' feet. After 
this they proceed to the bridegroom's house and every- 
body^ will retire until the next morning, when dancing 
and feasting begin again. The main feature of the next 
day's proceedings will be the welcoming of the bride's 
relatives and friends, who will come and bring her 
trunk and all that belongs to her. Her trunk must be 
opened before a multitude of witnesses and every little 
thing in it spread out before them. The contents of 
this trunk are not, by any means, entirely for the bride's 
own use, although she and her mother have spent a 
great deal of time on them. The}^ are mostly intended 
as presents for the bridegroom's relations and friends, 
and are the greatest expense which falls on her father 
in connection with the wedding days. In the trunk 
there will be perhaps some half a dozen or more dresses, 
aprons, skirts, head-dresses, etc., made for her by her 
parents; the rest are all the presents that have been 



made, consisting- of side-pockets, waist-pockets, money 
bag's, watch covers, woolen belts, skull caps and such 
like, all of which have been exquisitely embroidered by 
hand. These will be distributed among the numerous 
relation and home-folk of the brideg-room. 

If the bride's father is wealthy the trunk will also 
contain jewels, precious stones, shawls, cups of gold 
and silver; a "samowar," or teakettle, with all its out- 
fit; a "kalean," smoking- pipe, etc. It will be as well 
to remark that these costly g"ifts, in many cases, are not 
so much for the purpose of expressing the parents' de- 
votion to the daug-hter as for the show and pride on 
their own behalf. 

On the next day the guests will begin to depart. In 
leaving, everyone extends his congratulation and pre- 
sents his gift. This ends the wedding. The married 
couple, instead of taking a bridal trip to some land or 
city, will remain at home, rarely going out at all for 
two or three months. 

Thk Dwelling Place of a Married Woman. 

The Persians have a strong tendency to congregate 
in cities, towns and villages, from the rich capitalists 
and the high of&cials to the poor laboring men and 
peasants. They all prefer to live together in communi- 
ties. There is literally none of what is called country 
life in America. Most of the cities, towns and villages 
have high, thick walls of mud all around them, with 
gates for entrance, which are carefully watched. The 
reason for this is, I suppose, first, for protection in time 
of war. In the olden days the country was settled 
largely by different hostile tribes who would often 
attack each other, and the walls were a great protection 
to the property. There were also numerous robbers and 
highwaymen whose whole business was thieving and 
pillage, thus constantly dangerous to life and commerce. 

—130- 



There is still this datig-er, and the citizens to insure 
their safety live in communities for mutual defense and 
protection. And, ag-ain, the custom of secluding- the 
women has a g-reat deal to do with it. 

The first visible part of the houses of the first class 
from the street is a hig-h, thick wall that encircles the 
whole lot. Through this there is only one entrance — 
a larg-e g-ate, made of heavy hard wood and studded 
with big, heavy iron nails. This g-ate is kept shut all 
the time, and anybody that wanted to g-et in would 
have to knock hard in order to do so, calling- the family, 
who, in most cases, live in some distant part of the 
premises. Walking along the street, one can easily tell 
the of&cial house, because they have always about a 
dozen or more men guarding- the gate. These guards 
eat, sleep and live in the small rooms opening- into the 
g-ateway on each side. No neighbor is allowed to build 
his house hig-her than the mud walls, or if he does, he 
is not permitted to open any window — not the least open- 
ing. — into his neig-hbor's yard which could make it pos- 
sible for him to look in upon his neighbor's wife. 

The first apartment we come to is called "beroon," 
or the men's apartment. Here the head of the family 
during the day commands his servants, transacts his 
business and receives his calls. He comes to this apart- 
ment by sunrise, having previously had his cup of coffee 
or tea and offered his prayers. And here he stays until 
his dinner hour, which is at twilight. The second apart- 
ment of the house is called "anderoon," which is exclu- 
sively for women and children, and is also called "harem," 
"forbidden place," a word corresponding with zenana or 
serago. The women live here all their lives, very sel- 
dom g-oing- out for recreation or a breath of fresh air. No 
male persons could venture to go to this apartment. If a 
man by mistake or unwitting-ly should attempt to make 
his way to the "forbidden place," he would be quickly 



-131- 



met by the g-uardians and eunuchs, crying- loudly, 
"Women, away !" and the man, with breathless haste, 
will make his way back, while the women would beg*in 
at once to conceal their persons with a veil. 

The custom of secluding- the women and watching- 
them so carefully has come down from many genera- 
tions. The king-s in ancient days, in order to exhibit 
g-reater state and to preserve pure lineag-e, introduced it 
first into the country, and it was g-radually adopted in 
some form by all classes, except the wandering- nomads. 

Duties of Women in Persia. 

./ One of the duties of women in Persia is g-rinding- the 
wheat and barley into flour. In the parts of the country 
where water is abundant, water mills are built, and in 
some other places they have what are called donkey, 
buffalo or mule mills, which are turned by power of 
these animals. But still there are many of the poor 
who cannot afford to have their flour g-round at these 
mills, and the women must g-rind it at home in the old 
fashioned way of Bible lands and times. "Two women 
shall be g-rinding- at the mill; the one shall be taken and 
the other left." (Matt. 24, 41). This mill consists of 
two heavy circular stones with a wooden pin in the 
center fastened to the lower one passing- throug-h a larg-e 
hole in the upper one. Into this hole in the upper 
stone, around the central pin, the grain is poured by 
handfuls while the two women turn it rapidly by the 
stout handle fastened to the outer rim of the upper 
stone. The grain falling between the two stones is 
crushed into a coarse flour and thrown out around the 
edges onto a large cloth placed under and around the 
mill for the purpose of catching it.* Besides the flour 
for the bread they prepare every year a quantity of 
cracked wheat, which is boiled and dried in small cakes 
from which they make a much relished dish peculiar to 



the Persian poorer classes. The bread is made up with 
leaven, worked and set to rise, then rolled out into very 
thin cakes. A second woman has in her hand a kind 
of cushion covered with heavy canvas. The thin wafer 
of doug-h is spread smoothly on this cushion, which has 
a handle underneath so that she can hold it securely. 
Then she slaps the cake of doug-h against the hot side 
of the tandoor (oven) so that it sticks and bakes in a few 
minutes, when another is put in its place. A week's 
baking, sometimes two weeks', is done at once. 

Water works have not been introduced into Persia 
yet; all the water for drinking and every day use is 
brought from a distance by the women. There are 
public wells or streams outside of each villag-e. The 
women g-o to these places mornings and evenings and 
carry home as much as is needed. If it is a well they 
have no pumps, so they have to pull it up in an earthen 
vessel with a long- rope and fill their jars from that, but 
if it is a spring they simply plung-e the jar in until full, 
then lift it, first on the hip, then to the back or shoul- 
der, and quickly march home. They go back and forth 
this way until all their jars are full, sometimes eight or 
ten times. The jars are larg-e and heavy, made of 
earthenware. They hold from five to eight gallons of 
water. It takes long practice and strong- arms to lift 
these jars to the shoulder without spilling- any of the 
water or dropping- and breaking- the jar. But these 
women who have been accustomed to the exercise need 
no dumb-bells or skipping- ropes for the development of 
their muscles. It is a beautiful sight every morning 
and night when scores of women group together with 
their jars upon their backs and march to the spring. 
They find some compensation for the laborious task in 
the freedom to gossip and talk along the way, and look 
as if they really enjoy it. It reminds one of the roman- 
tic story of Abraham's servant and Rebecca at the well 



-133- 



(Gen, 24) and of the more spiritual incident of our 
Savior and the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well.* 

The churning" is done in a larg-e, oddly shaped earthen 
jar, laid upon its side on what is called a saddle. That 
is a kind of hollowed bridge, into which the jar fits and 
over which it is jolted back and forth, to make the but- 
ter come. First, however, the fresh milk is boiled and 
a little sour cream or butter-milk added. Then it is 
allowed to stand until it has become perfectly solid. 
The mouth of the jar is then tied up tig"ht with a heavy 
piece of canvas, that no air can g-et in, and the jolting- 
begins. Gathering the butter, etc., is similar to the 
same process in America.* 

Most of the harvesting, also, is done by women. It 
usually begins in the early part of June and lasts until 
the latter part of July or the first of August. These 
months are very hard on the women. They have to be 
up early in order to finish their domestic duties by an 
hour after sunrise. Then they take sickles and march 
to the field, which is usually from one to two miles dis- 
tant. Often one sees a mother with her infant in a cradle 
upon her shoulder and a sickle in her hand marching 
with the rest. From morning until sunset they toil, with 
only two hours for rest in the middle of the day. The 
mothers put the baby-cradle under a tree, where they 
can see that no harm comes to the little one, and can 
stop and rock it if it cries very hard. These harvest 
months are the very hottest in the year. The sun shines 
with terrific force during the day. While the women 
reap, the men gather up the bundles and bind them 
ready to be carried to the threshing floor, which is a 
great distance from the field. Many a poor "Ruth" 
may be seen following the reapers, gleaning whatever 
may fall behind. At sunset they begin their homeward 
journey, tired and dirty.* Their home duties are to come 
afterward, before they are ready to rest. 

—134— 



By the time the harvest is over, the vineyard work 
begins. The g^rapes are then ripe. The women pick 
the ripe and ready bunches, filling- larg^e baskets 
and carrying" them to the end of the vineyard, where 
they are spread out in the sun to be dried for raisins. 
This usualh^ takes from fifteen to twenty days. Then 
they g-ather them and pile them up at home, ready for 
the market. The rest of the g-rapes are made into 
molasses and wine. Of course the men take some part 
in the vineyard work, but most of it is done by the 
women. 

When a husband eats, the wife cannot sit with him 
and eat at the same table, but must always stand in his 
presence with her arms crossed while he eats, ready to 
render any service to him, like an accomplished slave. 
And after he has done eating-, she pours water on her 
lord's hands, and wipes them on a towel or her own 
chader ; then she lig-hts his water-pipe and with a g-race- 
ful yet slavish bow she hands it to him ; and while he 
enjoys it she serves the children in the same fashion, 
after which she retires to a respectful distance, her face 
turned toward the black mud walls, so that her lord may 
not see her lips moving-, and finishes the meal. When 
he w^alks on the street, she cannot walk anywhere near 
him, because it is a reproach for a man to be seen on the 
street with a woman, and also because she is so covered 
with the out-door costume. He mig-ht be accused of 
walking- with a woman who was not his wife. Hence, 
she never expects any help or protection from him. 
When he goes on a journey, he does not even tell her 
good-bye, or consult with her about his trip ; and if he 
should be gone for years, would never write her a single 
letter nor ask after her health. If anything needs to be 
attended to, he writes to his brothers or father, or a near 
relative. Nor does he ever trust his wife with any money 
for her living ; he will ask a friend or relative to give it 

—135— 



to her little by little. When he is in any business trouble 
or perplexity, it will not occur to him to mention the 
fact to her or to ask her advice. On the contrary, when 
he talks business with his friends she must not listen. 
And if she were in any mental or physical depression, 
she would not dare mention it to him, for she would be 
sure of harsh, rough words, instead of loving- sympathy. 
In all these things, he is in no sense a husband to her, 
but only a lord and owner. 

The law requires that females also make pilgrimages 
to the holy places. Girls at every age are allowed to 
go ; also children. Widows under 50 years are not 
accepted as pilgrims, first, because of their probable 
desire for marriage, and second, because the law says 
no women must undertake a pilgrimage alone for fear 
of exposing themselves to men. So, in order to go, 
some marry for this purpose. The husband accompanies 
them thither, and upon returning either divorces them 
or keeps them as wives or concubines. 

Kvery band of pilgrims, when returning to their own 
city, will send a messenger about ten days in advance 
to announce that in so many days a band of pilgrims 
will appear in the city. On the day of their arrival 
many hundred men will meet them several miles from 
the city. The Say-yids ride before them, crying: 
"Salawats!" Friends and relatives kill lambs as a 
sacrifice before them. This sacrifice is a holy matter 
and no man can touch it till its blood is shed ; but when 
it is beheaded it belongs to God, and the strongest man 
takes it for his own. So there is always quarreling 
when the pilgrims return. The acquaintances of the 
pilgrims will come and say: "My portion be as thy 
portion. Blessed art thou. May your pilgrimage be 
accepted." And the pilgrim will answer : "God grant 
that you may also go to this Holy Place and receive 
remission of sins." Women will sometimes cut pieces 

-136— 



from the pilgrims' g-armetits, which are supposed to be 
holy. At the pilgrim's home many sheep are killed and 
a variety of fine meats are cooked. People g-ather there 
to eat and drink and they say to the host: "God bless 
your pilg-rimag-e." He will answer : "May the Prophet 
g-ive you success and g-rant that you too may visit the 
Holy Place." 

Life: of Mohammkd and Mohammkdism. 

Mohammed was born at Mecca in the year 570. He 
was from the tribe of Koreish. His g-reat-g-randfather 
was married to a lady of Medina and Mohammed was 
thus connected with one of the ruling- families of that 
city — the Bani Khazraj. Abdallah, his father, was 
poor, and died on a mercantile trip to Syria shortly be- 
fore Mohammed's birth. His mother, Amina, according- 
to the custom of Mecca, put the infant out to nurse with 
a Bedouin tribe ; and there the child remained for four 
or five years, acquiring- the free habits and the pure 
tong-ue of the nomad race. 

About a year after Amina took the lad to visit his 
relatives at Medina, but on the way home she died, so 
that in his sixth year Mohammed was left an orphan. 
His uncle, Abu Taleb, became his g-uardian and to the 
day of his death faithfully discharg-ed the trust. While 
yet a child Mohammed accompanied his uncle to Syria 
on a mercantile journey, where he came in contact with 
a number of Christians and Jews, from whom he learned 
much about the Jewish and Christian principles of 
relig-ion. His uncle procured for him the commission 
from a rich widow to superintend a trading- caravan to 
Syria. Khadija, delig-hted with her ag-ent's service, 
conceived a tender passion for him, and thoug-h nearly 
40, while he was but 25 years of ag-e, became his wife. 
She bore him two sons and four daug-hters. Both sons 



V 



-137- 



died. The eldest, wlio survived two years, was called 
Kasim ; whence Mohammed's name of Abul Kasim. 

At the ag-e of 40 a new life was quickened in the soul 
of Mohammed, who claimed that he received a revela- 
tion from God. An ang-el appeared to him and in mortal 
terror Mohammed ran to his wife and cried, "Wrap me 
up ! " and he lay wrapped up in his cloak. 

The ansrel said : — 



'& 



O thou covered ! Rise up and warn ! 

And thy I^ord mag-nif y ! 

And thy g-arments purify ! 

And abomination shun ! 

And grant not favors to g"ain increase ! 

And the Ivord await ! 

Revelation after revelation followed in rapid succes- 
sion. He did not doubt his mission. His first converts 
were among- his own family and kinsmen — his wife, 
daug-hters, cousin Ali, and his freedman, Zaid. 

At . first Mohammed attracted little attention at 
Mecca, but soon after his claim of being- the prophet of 
God was known, and especially when he spoke against 
idolatry, they persecuted him and his enemies vio- 
lently tried to kill him, but he fled from Mecca to 
Medina. (The day of his fiig-ht marks the year of 
Heg-ira or Kmig-ration, A. D. 622. This is the beg-in- 
ning of the Mohammedan era.) 

In Medina Mohammed built a mosque. After he had 
a number of followers he declared the Holy War, by 
which he succeeded in conquering- many tribes and 
countries. Then, two years later, he returned to Mecca 
at the head of a great army and conquered it. He then 
returned to his home and died in Medina, 632 A. D. 
Over his burial-place a large mosque has since been 
built. After his death his successor took his place and 
extended his mission through Persia, Babylonia, Syria, 
Asia Minor, Egypt and Spain. In the course of one 

—138— 



hundred and ten years they had met with g-reat and 
wonderful success. Of course this was due to the 
means which they used, viz : the sword. 

This relig^ion was introduced in Spain with the in- 
tention of carrying- it on throug-h Kurope. Now, what 
was it that prevented them from doing- this? The 
Christians who had heard about the Mohammedans and 
their intentions g-athered together their armies under 
the direction of Charles Martel and went to meet the 
Saracens. It was at the battle of Tours, 732 years after 
CKrist, or 110 years after Mohammed had started on his 
mission, that these two g-reat powers met. Thus there 
was a g-reat struggle between the Mohammedans and 
Christians, between the false and true religions. In 
this battle the Mohammedans were defeated and g-ave 
up their intentions. A few years later they were driven 
out of Spain, and ever since have not had any accession 
to the powers of the world that they did not control at 
that time. 

The total number of the Mohammedans throug-hout 
the whole world is 175,000,000. These are in Africa, 
Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, Beloochistan, India, Cey- 
lon. Their belief is that there is one God, Mohammed 
is his apostle, and the Koran a sacred book. 

^The first doctrine which we meet in the Mohammedan 
creed is this: "La ilaha illa 'llahu Muhammadux 
Rasulu llahi." "There is no God but God: Moham- 
med is the prophet of God." Mohammedans ascribe 
ninety-nine names or titles to God, among- which some 
of the principal are, the Merciful, the Gracious, the 
Master, the Holy, the Creator, the Faithful, the Par- 
doner, the Wrathful, the Provider of daily bread, the 
All-wise, the Just, the King-, the Great, the Kxalter, 
the Glorious, the Lover, the Witness, the Truth, the 
Almig-hty, the First, the Last, the Pure, the Lig'ht, the 
Guide, the Patient One, etc. Mohammed taug-ht that 

—13*)— 



God, most liig-h, created the seven days of the week; on 
Sunday He created the g-ates of the hig-hest heaven; on 
Monday the seven stories of heaven; on Tuesday He 
constructed the seven stories of the earth; on Wednes- 
day He made darkness; on Thursday He created the 
produce of the earth and all that is in it; on Friday He 
made the sun, moon and stars, and caused the seven 
celestial spheres to revolve; and on the sixth day He 
created the whole world. One day, however, of that 
upper world is said to be equal to one thousand years. 

One day while Mohammed was talking- with some 
of his followers the archang-el Gabriel appeared to them 
in disg-uise of a very tall and strong- man clothed in 
white, who for their information and instruction said to 
the prophet: "O, Mohammed, tell me about Islam." 
Mohammed replied: "Islam is that thou shalt bear 
witness, that there is no God but God and that Moham- 
med is the apostle of God; second, to offer five prayers 
each day; third, to g-ive alms; fourth, to perform pil- 
g-rimag-es to Mecca; fifth, to fast during- Ramazan." 
The ang-el continued: "I accept this as true. Now 
tell me about faith." Mohammed said: "It is to be- 
lieve in God and his ang-els and in his books and in his 
messeng-er; in the last day and in fate reg-arding g-ood 
and evil." The ang-el replied: "I accept this also as' 
true; now tell me about well doing-." Mohammed an- 
swered: "It is to serve God as if thou didst see Him, 
even thoug-h thou see Him not, for indeed He seeth thee." 

Mohammedans hold, that from the very beg-inning- 
God taug-ht his servants by direct inspiration, that 
Adam, Knoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, as 
well as a multitude of the prophets, were sent by Him 
as occasion required; some for all men and some for in- 
dividual tribes, that they mig-ht g-uide men to God and 
reveal His will. 



-140— 



The number of books which have been revealed to 
the prophets is 103. Out of this number ten were in- ^ 
trusted to Adam, fifty to Seth, thirty to Abraham, ten 
to Moses, one to David, one to Jesus and one to Moham- 
med, and the}^ believe when one revelation became lost 
or corrupted a new messag-e was sent down. The last 
of all the prophets, according- to them, is Mohammed, 
and hence the final and most perfect revelation is that 
contained in the Koran, and they hold that it is incum- 
bent upon all men, therefore, to accept their creed or 
they will be cast into the eternal punishment. Moham- 
medans believe that the entire Koran was dictated to ^ 
Mohammed by Gabriel, and is a literal copy of what 
was written ag-es before the creation of the world by 
divine decree upon the everlasting- tablet in heaven. 
With reg-ard to creation of man the Mohammedans 
believe that Adam was created in a g-arden in heaven; 
but God sent an ang-el to obtain a handful of earth, of 
which the body of Adam was then made. When the 
spirit entered this body God ordered all the ang-els to 
worship Adam. All obeyed except Iblis, who was there- 
upon condemned to hell-fire and became known as Satan. <^ 
Eve was created from Adam's rib, and when they ate of 
the forbidden fruit, which they hold was wheat, they 
were cast down from the heavenly paradise and fell to 
the earth. When Adam fell, he kept on weeping- for 
his offence for three hundred years, so that from his 
tears rivers beg-an to flow and on their banks there g-rew 
dates and nut trees. Every tear of Eve, which fell into 
the sea, became a pearl and diamond, and then God 
commanded Adam to make pilg-rimag-e to Mecca and 
there he met Eve and recog-nized her because during- the 
fall Eve was cast in one direction and Adam another 

The doctrine of original sin finds no place in Moham- 
medan theolog-y, although they hold that all men are 
descendants of Adam and Eve — that Adam did not sin, 



but simply erred. They believe in the multitudinous 
existence of the ang-els, as having- all been created ag-es 
before creation by God, from fire, and being superior, 
therefore, to man. They are, however, capable of fall- 
ing into sin, and are appointed to various offices; are of 
different rank, and God uses many of them as messen- 
gers to mankind. In the hig-hest rank are those nearest 
to God ; these are the four supporters of His throne. On 
the judg-ment day four more will be appointed to this 
service, because it is written in the Koran that the eig-ht 
angels will support the throne of God on the last day. 
An angel predominates in hell, and under his authority 
are nineteen others, appointed to aid him in maintain- 
ing- authority. They are preserved from being- injured 
by the flames, as they have a seal ot divinity impressed 
upon their foreheads, with the inscription, "There is no 
g-od but God ; Mohammed is the apostle of God." 

Five times a day there is a solemn call which sounds 
forth from the mosque to prayer in these words: "Assahu 
Akbar I " (God is most great) repeated four times in a 
loud tone of voice, then in a lower tone. The caller 
says, repeating- each clause separately twice, "I bear 
witness that there is no God but God ; I bear witness 
that Mohammed is the apostle of God." Then raising 
his voice once more, he again recites these two clauses 
twice, and then proceeding in the same tone he cries, 
"Come to prayer, come to prayer ! Come to the refuge, 
come to the refuge!" God is most great, God is most 
great ! There is no g-od but God !" In the morning call, 
he adds : "Prayer is better than sleep." 

They pray five times a day — in the morning before 
sun-rise, at noon, before sun-set, during the twilight, 
after sunset, when night has commenced. At these 
specified times Mussulmen, wherever they may be, in 
the street or in the house, spread their rugs out upon 
the ground and, facing Mecca, recite the set form of 

-142- 



prayer in Arabic, claiming- that to be the lang-uag-e of 
paradise. 

The prophet commanded that the children should be 
directed to offer the appointed prayers at the ag-e of 7 
and that they should be beaten if they fail to comply. 
The public prayers in the Mosque are conducted by a 
priest or leader, who turns his face toward Mecca. Be- 
hind him rank after rank stand on a spot which is 
marked out for the worshiper, space enoug-h for each 
to enable him to prostrate himself. Before a man 
spreads his rug-, he takes off his shoes, carefully per- 
forms the ceremony of washing- his hands and ears and 
face, water being- always near at hand. In case there is 
no water, sand is used. They all have to cross a bridg-e 
after death, the unrig-hteous will fall down to the lowest 
hell; this bridge is as thin as a hair and is sharper than 
a sword. 

Islam teaches that God alone, the Almig-hty Creator 
and Preserver, the Master and Judg-e of all creation, 
shall be worshiped, but of God's infinite holiness and 
love, Mohammedism knows nothing-. 

The prophet, Mohammed, after visiting- the seventh 
heaven on a nig-ht journey, entered the ver}^ presence of 
God himself. "In the sixth heaven," said Mohammed, 
"I met Moses, who asked me, 'What hast thou been 
commanded to do ? ' I answered, ' I have been com- 
manded to teach the people to offer fifty prayers a day,' 
Moses replied, ' Verily, the people will not be able to 
comply with this request. I have tried it with Israel 
in the wilderness. Return thou, therefore, to thy Lord 
and ask of him that he lessen the burden for thy peo- 
ple.'" I returned and God reduced the burden by ten 
prayers. Then I returned to Moses, but he said as be- 
fore. I went back and God ag-ain relieved me of ten 
prayers. I went once more to Moses, who advised me 



-143— 



ag-ain as before. I did so and was left with but ten 
prayers wbich m}' people were to offer. 

Then Moses advised me once more to return, which I 
did, and was left with five prayers, consequently their 
prayer is a kind of tribute to be paid to God as his due 
and not in a'hy way a means of heartfelt spiritual com- 
munication with Him but rather the homag-e due to a 
V^Lord by his slave. 

Mohammed said: " Rig-hteousness for you is to be- 
lieve in God and the last day, the angels, the books, the 
prophets, and g-ive your wealth to the poor, to the beg-- 
g-ars and to those in bondag-e." All Mohammedans believe 
that they will be saved throug-h Mohammed's inter- 
cession. Mohammedism teaches that there is no simili- 
tude whatever between God and man, nor is it desirable 
that there should be. They confess that they are sin- 
ners, but by inference and conclusions from the rest of 
their teaching-s we see that they maintain the idea that 
God is Himself the author of all their sinful acts. 

Ag-ain, from the Koran and tradition, it is evident 
that Mohammed reg-arded sin as a mere external pollu- 
tion, and capable of being- washed off by performance of 
certain rites. Five prayers are the means of wiping- out 
the sin, to a g-reat extent, and pilg-rimag-e and alms- 
g-iving- is needed to take away the g-uilt. Mohammedism 
teaches nothing- for atonement of sin. The Sheahs g"en- 
erally believe that Hassan and Hussain died as their 
redeemers. 

Tradition speaks on the subject of the reward in the 
next world as follows : In paradise there are palaces 
made of pearls. In each palace there are seventy abodes 
made of rubies ; in each abode there are seventy houses 
of emerald ; in every house, a harem ; in every harem, 
seventy beds of various colors ; on every bed, an houri. 
In every house there are seventy tables ; on each table 
th^re are seventy kinds of food ; in each house there are 




MY BROTHER, JACOB ADAMS. 



seventy slave g-irls, and every morning- when he is anx- 
ious for food the Mussulman is g-iven all that he desires; 
besides, their beauty shall be as the moon in the night; 
their vessels and combs shall be of g-old and silver. Every 
one of them shall have two wives. Every man among- 
the people of paradise shall surely have 500 houries, 
4,000 virg-ins, 8,000 divorced women, and two larg-e-eyed 
houries shall sing- to him with charming voices. The 
inhabitants of paradise have horses and camels, and 
there the bridles and saddles are of rubies ; and if any 
man among the inhabitants of paradise should desire 
children, they shall be born to him in one single day. 
The people of paradise are smooth and beardless, white 
and curly-haired ; they shall be 30 years of age, as was 
Adam when he was created ; their height shall be sixty 
cubits. 

If a woman of Paradise should come down to the 
earth she would illuminate and fill the space between 
heaven and earth with her perfume. ' The people of 
Paradise shall be waited upon with seventy dishes of 
gold, each dish shall have a different color; they shall 
have in addition the liver of the fish; for them shall be 
slaughtered the ox. The tales which Mohammed told 
of the delights of Paradise were equaled by the ghastl}^ 
horrors with which he surrounded the future state of all 
who should reject his claims. 

It is believed that all Mussulmen, even those guilty 
of the most atrocious crimes, after a period will be ulti- 
mately in some manner delivered from hell and admitted 
to paradise, there to enjoy various degrees of that 
pleasure peculiar to their carnal nature. 

Prophet Mohammed told his people that the earth 
was originally made out of the foam of a whale which 
God created. The earth consists like heaven of seven 
stories, and the whole mass rests between the horns of a 
bull. This animal has no less than four thousand horns. 

—145— J 



The distance between any two of these horns is five 
hundred years' journey. His feet rests upon a fish which 
swims in water forty years' journey deep. Koran teaches 
the virg-in Mary is the sister of Aaron and the daughter of 
Amram. Certainly Islam is an anti-Christian faith, a 
Christless creed, and it has preserved in the life and char- 
acter of its founder an enduring- principle of deg^redation. 

The Koran denies trinity, the divine sonship of our 
Redeemer, his atoning- death, and his mediatorial office. 
Mohammed taug-ht his followers that Christ had pro- 
phesied of His coming- when promising- the disciples the 
g-ift of the Holy Ghost. Christ Jesus tells us that God 
is our heavenly Father, loving-, holy and just. Moham- 
med teaches his followers that God is our Master, arbi- 
trary and despotic, favoring- whom He will and leading- 
astray whom He will. The Bible informs us that man 
was orig-inally created in God's imag-e, that he was once 
holy, but is now fallen from his true nature. Yet God 
loves him and has provided a way for his restoration to 
peace and full realization of His being- the child of God. 
The Koran on the other hand tells us that man was 
created weak and that he is and always has been separ- 
ated from his Creator by a great gulf; that his nature is 
just and ever will be. Man is in no sense a child of God, 
but he is a slave. We Christians believe that sin is the 
transgression of the eternal moral law, which is a nec- 
essary part of the divine nature, hence sin is contrary 
to man's original nature as a being made in God's image 
and likeness. Christ tells his disciples that the most 
tolerable of all possible kinds of doom is being left in a 
state of eternal sin, eternal alienation or estrangement 
from God and to all that is good and true and noble, and 
to all that is pure and unselfish. Mohammedans hold 
that sin is the breach of certain arbitrary rules laid down 
by God for man to obey. The Bible informs us that 
salvation consists in the deliverance from the love and 



-146- 



power of sin and in the restoration unto our first nature, 
and of bring-ing- our whole nature in harmony with God. 
According- to Mohammedan faith salvation means escape 
from the punishment of sin, while their mystics would 
explain the word as sig-nifying deliverance from mental 
ignorance reg^arding- God. We Christians believe that 
redemption is to be obtained freely throug-h the atone- 
ment wroug-ht out for us by Christ himself. Mussulmen 
maintain that they will be made righteous by their 
works or through Mohammed's intercession, while 
others maintain that Hassan's and Hussein's death were 
the atonement for sin. We Christians look forward for 
an eternal happiness and for many mansions of our 
heavenl}' Father's home, where nothing- that defiles can 
enter, but where we shall know even as we are known 
and shall be renewed in the image of our Creator and 
our Redeemer. Mohammed promised his followers a 
heaven of carnal delight and sensual pleasure, etc. 
If we believe that only through Christ can God, the 
Father, be properly known to us, that only through 
Christ's atoning death can we hope for salvation, that 
only through union with Him can we possess the true 
life which he came to give us, then it must be plain 
that the Mohammedan religion is entirely out of the 
question. 

Islam as a religion is not true, it has not come from 
God. It does not and cannot satisfy the needs of the 
human heart, it does not reveal God in His Divine 
Fatherhood, in His love. His justice and His Holiness. 
It does not show man what his own original nature was, 
nor reveal to him what sin is and how to escape it. 
Islam is an anti-Christian creed. It is opposed to all 
true progress, whether moral or intellectual, political or 
religious. This being the case, then Mohammedism 
cannot take the place of Christianit}^ with advantage to 
any section of the human race. Mohammed is in every 

-147- 



way unfit to be an ideal of a human being-. But Chris- 
tianity has a duty to the Mussulman, one which we can- 
not shirk without incurring serious responsibility. We 
must not be content to leave them alone in their dark- 
ness and big-otry. If we would we cannot altog-ether do 
so, broug-ht in contact with the g-reat Mohammedan 
world as we are at the present time. If we would ask 
what our duty to the Mussulman is, our divine Lord 
g-ives us a very clear answer; "Go ye and make all 
nations disciples, baptizing- them in the name of the 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Christ died for them as 
well as for the heathen and for ourselves, and he has 
his own chosen among- all nations. To us is committed 
the ministry of reconciliation, the sacred duty of calling- 
the followers of the Arabian anti-Christ to the foot of 
the cross of the crucified Redeemer whose atoning- death 
they deny and Godhead they blaspheme. 

Our duty to Mohammedans is clear and little have 
we Christians done or are we doing- in bring-ing- them to 
Christ. The work in Persia is still in its infancy and 
likewise in many other countries. There are yet 
175,000,000 of Mohammedans. Let us each and everyone 
ask ourselves what we have done in delivering- them 
from the false prophet. We are not to convert the Mo- 
hammedans, but he who has promised to be with His 
messeng-ers even to the end can and doth turn the heart 
of many wherever the g-ospel is faithfully preached to 
them; it is not too much to say, that it is the gospel of 
Christ unto salvation to the Mussulman, as well as every 
other seeker of truth. Oh, thank God, that His word is 
strong and able to convict the sinner to His saving grace. 

It may be interesting to know something of the 
method generally adopted of bringing the Gospel to 
bear on Mohammedans. We endeavor to convince them 
of their sinfulness and weakness, their need of an atone- 
ment for sin; a Redeemer who can and will deliver them, 



—148- 



not only from its punishment, but also from its power. 
We invite them to search Koran and their traditions and 
tell us what provision they find therein to satisfy their 
deep need. Needless is it to say, Islam knows of no 
atonement and no Savior. Or ag-ain we point out the 
Koran's testimony to the Bible and induce them to study 
the holy books thus commended to all true believers. 
A Mohammedan, with whom I was thus reading- St. 
John's Gospel, said to me: " If a Moslem has read the 
Gospel for even three days, he may still fear to become 
a Christian, yet he will never ag-ain believe in Moham- 
med." 

We endeavor once ag-ain to g-et down to the g-rand 
truths of Christianity, to show how true these are, how 
very much more true than Mohammed ever suspected. 
We show how they were recog-nized by Jews and Chris- 
tian ag-es before Mohammed, and that Islam has forg-ot- 
ten many similar truths and defaced those which it has 
retained. We induce them to g-et to know Christ's char- 
acter and work and contrast it with those of the prophet 
of Arabia. Such a method never fails if pursued in a 
loving- and prayerful spirit, to produce an effect upon the 
heart and conscience of any thoug-htful Moslem. All 
such do not embrace Christianity, but it is impossible 
for them entirely to reject the attraction which Christ 
Jesus exercises, or to make Mohammed their ideal and 
their hope. "Some men know God," said a Moslem 
friend of mine who had knelt weeping- with me to pray 
to God for life and peace. 

"Some men know God in a wa}^ that I do not, thoug-h 
I have long- thoug-ht of him. Pray to God for me, that 
if it be His will, I too, some day may know Him." Such 
movements, in the Mohammedan world, are an evidence 
of the unsatisfying- nature of Islam as a relig-ion. 

If we g-o with the cross of Christ in our hearts, we 
shall g-o forth to conquer, and the crescent shall soon 

—149— 



fade before the glory of our returning- Lord. Ma}' God 
help us each one to feel the responsibility for those who 
are dying- with no hope in Jesus. 

After the death of Mohammed, the succession was 
disputed, althoug-h the Sheahs affirm that Mohammed 
had already desig-nated Ali as his successor. The suc- 
cession appeared to belong- by rig-ht, as well as by nature, 
to Ali, who was married to Fatimeh, the only surviving- 
daughter of the prophet. But it was not until the acces- 
sion and assassination of Abu Bekr, Omar and Othman, 
that the magnanimous Ali was elected to the caliphate. 
Even then, he was not permitted to enjoy the long- 
deferred honors without an opposition which eventually 
proved fatal, not only to himself but also the continua- 
tion of the caliphate in the family of the founder of the 
faith. When Ali was in turn assassinated, his oldest 
son, Hassan, assumed the caliphate, to which he was 
peacefully elected by the people of Medina or Medineh. 
At the head of a powerful army, he marched to encoun- 
ter Noaviyeh. The enthusiasm of his generals and forces 
promised a decisive victory, but Hassan was a man of 
peaceable disposition, averse to active life, and prefer- 
ing the tranquil domesticity of a private citizen. He 
proposed to abdicate in favor of Noaviyeh, reserving- the 
succession to himself after the death of Noaviyeh, who 
was much the elder, and an ample revenue during a life 
of ease and retirement at Medina. The terms of the 
pacification were accepted and religiously followed by 
Noaviyeh. Yezeed, his son, foreseeing that the ap- 
proaching death of his father would restore the virtuous 
Hassan to the caliphate, caused the latter to be poisoned 
by one of his wives. 

Hussein, a brother of Hassan, was a man of different 
metal. He had opposed his brother's abdication, and he 
now perceived, after escaping a plot to assassinate him, 
that the empire was not large enough to contain 



-150— 



himself and Yezeed in peace. He, therefore, boldly pre- 
pared for a final conflict that was to decide the claims of 
the Aliites and the Ommiades. Escaping- from Medina, 
whose g"overnor had schemed to entrap him, Hussein 
hastened with his family to Kufa. The inhabitants of 
Kufa had hardh^ sent a pressing- message to Hussein to 
resort to their cit}', with the oifer of a powerful host, 
and their homag-e, when they allowed themselves to be 
easily diverted from their purpose by the swift messen- 
g-er sent by Yezeed, who was ordered to seize Kufa. 

But, Hussein was a man of courag-e, and, what was 
more, a true believer in predestination. "What is writ- 
ten, is written," is the doctrine of the Koran, of what 
worth is faith, if it will not bear the test in the hour of 
trial? What better occasion could offer for the son of 
Ali to testify to his descent from the prophet, and to his 
unflinching- belief in the tremendous fiat of Kis7net. 
Therefore, accompanied by his family and a score or 
two of Arab horsemen, Hussein went forth unflinching-ly 
to meet his doom. The heroism of Hussein was the 
more remarkable, because from the outset of his journey 
he was oppressed by a presentment of death stalking in 
his path across the desert, and rapidly overtaking the 
small troop of devoted victims wearily marching to the 
grave. "To God we belong, and to God we return," was 
his utterance. His four brothers, sons of Ali by another 
wife, and all his companions also declined to accept the 
safe conduct offered to them, choosing to share the fate 
Hussein. In the meantime, the enemy's forces had 
planted themselves between the camp of Hussein and the 
Euphrates, and to the other horrors of this terrible hour 
was now added that of thirst, in a land quivering with 
intolerable heat. 

The last night in the little camp was one of solemn 
preparation, of portentous dreams and fateful gloom. 
Zeineb and Hussein, brother and sister, the children of 



-151- 



Ali and Fatimeli, held mournful converse on the creep- 
ing- horrors of the morrow, the day that should see the 
destruction of the family of the prophet of God. Around 
them g-athered, one by one, their children and kinfolks 
and the small band of faithful defenders. Hussein 
urg-ed them to fly while 3^et there was time, for the 
enemy sought only the life of one, his own. "Allah 
forbid that we desert you now," exclaimed Abbass, 
and all united in exclaiming- with him that the}' would 
die with Hussein. The time for deliberation was past; 
there remained for them but one thing — to die. The 
attack was begun by Shemr, a fierce partisan. The 
combat continued until the hour for noon prayer, when 
there came a cessation of arms. During the truce Hus- 
sein chanted the "Song of Fear." Hussein fell pierced 
with over thirty wounds, and his head was struck off by 
the ferocious Shemr, who carried it all gory to Obeid 
Allah. Among the slain were eighteen descendants of 
Ali and Fatimeh. Zeineb and some of the women 
were spared, and eventually taken into the presence of 
Yezeed, together with the heads of Hussein and his 
brothers. Yezeed acted with moderation, and the 
remaining descendants of the prophet seemed to have re- 
tired from further participation in public affairs, laying 
aside ambition and merging themselves into the life of 
private citizens or of religious teachers and expounders 
of the faith. 

Assuming the office of vindicator of the growing 
sect of Sheahs, who cherished the memory of Ali, Al 
Muchtar entered on a mission of extermination against 
all who were concerned in the slaughter of Hussein. 
The entire Mohammedan world from Afghanistan to the 
Straits of Gibralter now seemed to acknowledge the 
sway of the caliphs of the line of Moaviyeh and his suc- 
cessors. The rival claims of Ali and his famil}^ ap- 
peared laid at rest and forgotten. But no ; in Iran, 

-152- 



or Persia, the sectaries of Ali were slowl}^ biding* their 
time. It is not a little sing-ular that not at Mecca nor 
at Medina, where the prophet first proclaimed his doc- 
trines, were the claims of his children accepted, but in 
a distant land peopled by another race. His children 
were buried in foreig^n soil, and the honor accorded to 
their memory is to be found not in Arabia, but in Persia. 
This may be due in part to the fact that one of the wives 
of Hassan was a daug-hter of Yezdigerd, the last mon- 
arch of the Sassanian line. Her remains were broug-ht 
to her native land, and her tomb is shown on the rock}^ 
heig-hts which overlook the extensive ruins of Rhei, the 
last capital of the Sassanides, where she bade her father 
farewell. 

Moslems of Persia say that when Hussein was to be 
beheaded, he was very thirsty, and asked for a drink of 
water before being- beheaded. But this request was not 
g-ranted and he was executed with his thirst unquenched. 
In memory of this trag-ed}' there may now be seen walk- 
ing- the streets of Persian cities ever}" warm summer 
da}" men carrying- a bottle or jar of water and crying-, 
"Sakkaw, sakkaw," (their name) and g-iving- water to 
any who may be thirsty in the name of Hussein. Mos- 
lems take this drink in a cup carried by the sakkaw, but 
a Christian must furnish his own cup or drink from the 
palms of his hands. If offered one or two cents the 
sakkaw will take it, but he never asks for money. The 
killing- of Hussein and his followers occurred in the 
month called Mooharram. This entire month is ob- 
served as a time of lamentation for Hassan, Hussein 
and their followers who were slain. During- this period 
every man, woman and child of the Shute Moslems are 
under oblig-ations to wear black g-arments. The last ten 
days of Mooharram are observed in a fanatical spirit as 
a revival of relig-ion. This period is called Ashara, 
meaning- ten days. The first seven days are for prepar- 

—153— 



ation. The mosque will be crowded witli men and 
women. The Masya-Kahns, or revivalist priests, are in 
charg-e of these services. Followed by a large proces- 
sion this priest goes to the mosque and mounting- a high 
pulpit preaches to large crowds. His general theme is 
tragic tales, stories of martyrs, the manner of their 
death, their last utterances, and the wailing and moan- 
of their friends and relatives. Often in the concluding 
words of a pathetic story, the entire audience, sometimes 
numbering thousands, will be deeply moved and slapping 
their foreheads with the palms of their hands will cry 
aloud to give vent to their emotion. The mosques can- 
not accommodate all the worshipers during this period, 
so some parts of a street are laid with carpets and rugs 
where the people sit while listening to preaching. The 
last three days are the most solemn. These people form 
different companies, and each company visits from one 
mosque to another. Passing through the streets the 
men bearing the national and religious emblems are 
followed by musicians playing mournful dirges with 
such instruments as drum, flute and cymbal. Surround- 
ing the musicians are hundreds of men marching with 
bare breasts, shouting "Hassan, Hussein ! Hassan, Hus- 
sein!" and pounding upon their breasts with bare 
hands. Following them is another band surround- 
ing a Say-yid a descendant of Ali and all of them are 
shouting "Hassan, Hussein" and beating their breasts. 
Next in the procession comes a band of ascetic Der- 
vishes, wearing neither hat nor shoes nor other gar- 
ments than a pair of pants, when the weather is mild. 
Holding in their hands a whip about two feet -long and 
one or two inches in diameter made of small iron 
strands, they beat their bare shoulders and back with 
the same as they march shouting "Yahu, Yamal-hu," 
which are names of their god. Following comes 
another band of Dervishes bearing in one hand a 

—154— 



knotty club to which is fastened nails, bits of brass, etc. 
With the other hand they beat their breasts as they 
repeat the cry of the preceding band. These worshipers 
torture the flesh by beating- it thus and bruise it black. 
The grreatest demonstration of all occurs on the last 
of the ten days at sunrise, the crowds of former days 
g-ather around the mosques to start again on the marches. 
On this day there are also fresh recruits. In front of 
the mosque is a band of fifty to one hundred men and 
boys of 13 to 40 years of age. They are barefooted, and 
uniformed with a white shirt over the other clothing 
that reaches to the feet. Held in the right hand before 
each one is a two-edged sword. The left hand rests on 
the belt of the soldier next in front. The leader stand- 
ing" at the head of the band recites their creed: "Allah 
is God and the only God, Mohammed is the prophet of 
God and Ali is his vicar." All the band repeat this 
creed. Immediately the leader smites his own brow with 
his sword and this act is immitated by all his followers. 
Soon the faces and white clothing of the men are red 
with blood. Bleeding they go marching through the 
streets shouting: "Hassan Hussein," and waving their 
swords in harmon}^ with step and voice. Fearing that 
these zealous young men may lose all regards for life, 
and inflict upon themselves mortal blows, relatives or 
friends frequently walk near with long sticks in hand 
to hinder them from such deeds. This band first 
marches to the court-house to be seen by the governor. 
Every band has the right to ask the governor for the 
freedom of some one prisoner, and these requests are 
always granted, no matter what the crime of the impris- 
oned. These bleeding men are as martyrs, and would 
go direct to heaven if death resulted from these self- 
inflcted wounds. After the parade ends the. bloody 
shirts of these men are divided among their friends and 
kept as hoi}' relics. The men who compose these bands 



—155- 



are usually the most wicked in the community. They 
go throug-h these ceremonies for the remission of sins 
and to redeem themselves in the eyes of others; but they 
usually continue in their wickedness as time g-oes on. 

Another important feature of the last day in the pro- 
cession is a richly decorated hearse containing- a coffin, 
in which lies a man representing- the corpse of Hassan. 
Beside the cof&n sits a woman, the widow of Hassan, 
dressed in sackcloth and her head covered with dust. 
Following the hearse are three beautiful Arabian horses, 
finely saddled and harnessed, with a flake of gold, em- 
bedded with pearls, on their foreheads. On two of them 
are seated two girls, representing the daughters of 
martyrs. The tops of the girls' heads are covered with 
dust and straw. The third horse is riderless, to remind 
one of the missing martyr. Following next, is a large 
number of women, boys and girls, and some men — all 
with yokes about their necks, their hands chained 
behind them, seated on horses and mules. These are to 
represent the captives taken by Yezeed, the captain who 
killed Hussein. Near them are men in helmets, to rep- 
resent the soldiers of Yezeed. They are armed with 
whips, and are driving these women and children of 
Moslems into captivity. Next in line, may be seen false 
heads raised aloft on poles, representing Yezeed, Mawya 
and other ancient enemies of Hussein. Boys and men 
gather around them, spitting at and reviling them. 

Gathered, all the sword bearers, chain strikers, and 
the many men beating their breasts, make a great 
crowd and tremendous noise. The bystander is struck 
with horror when two fanatical bands meet, each trying 
to excel the other in self-mutilation. Then are frig-ht- 
ful gashes cut; the thumping of chains on bruised bodies 
and the.pounding of breasts is heard louder than before. 
With an upward sweep of the right arm, ever}^ man 



—156- 



cries in a loud voice, "Ya Ali, Ya AH!" as the companies 
pass each other. 

At 4 p. m. on the last day, the marching- ceases and 
the throng- halts by some tents pitched in the middle of 
a public square. The swords and chain strikers approach 
the tents, and with a shout of victory utter the names of 
Ali, Hassan and Hussein, then set fire to the tents and 
burn them and their contents to the g-round. They 
imag-ine that their enemies were in those tents, and now 
that they have been destroyed it is a time of g-reat 
rejoicing-. The marching clubs disband and the active 
ones are soon found at the mosques, drinking- sherbet, a 
sweet drink, as a sort of reward for performing- their 
relig-ious duties. 

The last nig-ht is called watch-nig-ht, and many Mos- 
lems do not even slumber during- the nig-ht. It is a holy 
nig-ht, in which Hussein and other martyrs were buried 
in the tombs. It is a dishonor, and even a sin, for them 
to g-o to bed without meditation on their prophets. In the 
mosque services the people shout, "Oh, Hassan and 
Hussein, let my soul be a sacrifice for thee." They 
believe the observance of that nig-ht is absolute remis- 
sion of sins ; that the g-ates of heaven are open to all 
believers, for the sake of martyrs. Some pious Moslems 
preserve the tears of that nig-ht in small bottles, as it is 
believed the}^ will cure disease when applied to the 
brows of sick men. These tears are prized as a most 
holy relic. The Mussulmen say: "Even David, the 
prophet, believed in the efficacy of tears when he wrote 
in the Psalms, 'Put Thou my tears in Thy bottle, oh, 
God.'" 

On the last nig-ht many Shute Moslems walk to the 
mosque in bare feet wearing- sack cloth. Often a g-over- 
nor or lord accompanied by forty to one hundred servants, 
all barefooted, will be seen slowly trending- their way 
toward a mosque. At daybreak these solemn ceremonies 



-157- 



end. Thus thousands of people every year, in different 
parts of the country, will slash their bodies to pieces and 
suffer death, believing" this the way of obtaining- sal- 
vation. 

Mohammedan followers are not to salute those who 
drink, nor to marry those who are intemperate, nor to sit 
at the table where there is wine. Some one asked Ali 
how strict they should be regarding- strong- drink. Ali 
answered that if one drop of wine should fall in a well 
and the well should be filled up with earth and after a 
hundred years had passed away a sheep should eat grass 
growing- on that spot, he, Ali, would not eat of that 
flock. Again, Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of Moham- 
med, said that if there was a caravan of camels reaching 
from the north pole to the south pole and the last camel 
in the caravan should have wine on his back, that he, 
Ali, would not take hold of the bit of the head camel. 
Mohammed said that in hell there is a valley in which 
there burn 1,000 loads of wood every day; there is a 
house in that valley and in that house a box, and in that 
box there is a fiery snake which has 100 heads and every 
head has 100 mouths and every mouth has 100 teeth and 
every tooth has 100 sting-ers and every stinger has 100 
poisons. The people asked Mohammed: " Who will be 
punished there?" and he answered: "Those who are 
intemperate." They classed the Jews as an inferior peo- 
ple, 3^et Mohammed said that it was easier for a Jew to 
enter Heaven than for a person who drank wine. If a 
X I person drinks wine at night, God will look upon him with 
his bad eye* until morning-; also his prayer will not be 
heard for forty days and forty nights. But lately the 
opium has been introduced in all parts of Persia, whereas 



*The Mohammedans believe that God has two ej'es, one good the other evil, 
that with the g-ood eye he watches over the Mahammedans, with the evil eye over 
the Christian and all non Mohammedans. 



—158- 



the Mohammedans are becoming- more and more slaves 
of it. 

Some regard Ali, Hassan and Hussein as first of all 
creatures, the supreme intercessors,'~and endowed with 
divine light. Ali is the g-reatest of all. On him rests 
the hope of salvation. The Moslem believes in written 
prayers and passages or verses from the Koran. These 
are laid on a cloth and placed in leather cases, and are 
seen suspended from the neck or tied to the arm for 
protection. 

Charms with the names of the Imams eng-raved on 
the stones and beads from Kerballa are carried with 
them as the belief is that these keep a man from acci- 
dent, evil eye and robbery. 

The Mohammedans when they cut their finger nails 
wrap them in paper or in cloth and throw them behind 
their heads. Their idea is that God will ask where 
their finger nails are, and they will say that they have 
them on their back. Others will save them and bury 
them with the person at his death. 

If a man has two wives and loves one more than the 
other, the one that has been slighted will g^o to the 
Persian priest and tell him the case, then he will send 
her to her husband to bring- one hair out of his head, 
also one of her own. When she returns with these the 
priest will read a few verses out of the Holy Koran, and 
then take the two hairs, burn them, and put the ashes 
in a g-lass of water, which the woman must g-ive to her 
husband, who will thenceforth love her more than 
the other one, as the power of the words of the 
prophet having- been read over the glass of water, it will 
lead him to love her. 

All the Mohammedans believe that Mohammed stands 
at the gate of heaven. They believe that when they 
g-o to heaven he will let them pass safely over the 
bridge, which is sharper than any two-edged sword and 



— 15'>- 



thin as a hair. When a person of some other relig-ion 
comes, he will slacken the hair and then the person will 
be cast into hell. They feel that they are contaminated 
by touching- the Christian Bible, and g-reat care is exer- 
cised to keep the Koran out of the hands of the Chris- 
tians. 

Jonah was three days and nig-hts in the belly of a 
whale. After this example, some Persians fast three 
days and three nig-hts ; after that they bring- seven kinds 
of g-rains, and mixing- them together, add seven parts of 
salt and eat it ; then they retire and dream that they 
are very thirsty, and that some one of the opposite sex 
is giving- them water — and then that person will be their 
mate. 

Once a camel strayed into a mosque, mistaking it for 
a caravansary. All the worshipers got around it, declar- 
ing that even the dumb beast recognizes the presence of 
the prophet. They decorated and arrayed it and then 
paraded through the streets, each one taking some of 
the hairs of the animal as a blessing, and the animal 
became an attache of the mosque. 

The blessings of medicine are unknown in Persia, 
with the exception of several medical missionaries. 
The Persian doctors have not become such by study- 
ing books on medical science, however there are many 
quack doctors who have a system of superstition which 
has been taught them orally by older men. Blades of 
some kinds of grasses which are known to medical 
science as having no medicinal properties are the chief 
remedies prescribed for disease. Internal diseases are 
called supernatural and it is believed the}^ are inflicted 
by evil spirits. None of the doctors can do anything 
for these forms of diseases, as they consider it out of 
their realm. A patient with an internal disease is sent 
to the priest who will diagnose the case by looking into 
the Koran or some other superstitious books in which he 

—160- 




VEILED AND UNVEILED WOMAN. 




CHURNING. (Pag-el34.*) 
GRINDING WHEAT. (Pag-e 132.*) 



locates the particular demon that is afflicting- the pa- 
tient. He will write some mystical sig-ns on two slips of 
paper, the priest g-ives direction for their use, (this one 
soak in a cup of water, the other bind on the patient's 
arm). There are several remedies for fever, one is to 
tie seven knots in a white thread and fasten it around 
the waist, wearing* it fifteen or twenty days, they believe 
this will cure the fever. Another remedy is to remove 
the clothing- and jump into cold water before breakfast. 
If a man has a severe attack of colic and cries "I die, 
I die," his friends run for the nearest baldheaded man, 
as he is known to have power to remove the pains by 
firmly pressing- the smooth surface of his cranium ' 
ag-ainst the surface of the patient's body nearest the 
seat of pain. Pork is never used as food, but it is be- 
lieved to remove rheumatism when bound on the parts 
affected. 

There are two g-reat needs in Persia at present — 
native preachers and native doctors. May the dear 
Lord help us to hope and pray that the Mohammedan 
Dominion may in God's own time be broug-ht down, this 
dark spot in the civilization of this closing- nineteenth 
century be blotted out, and the way be opened up for 
the Gospel to be preached, received and professed freely 
by the followers of the false prophet in every land where 
they exist. If the power of the Sultan and Shah were 
destroyed, the downfall of Mohammedism before the 
Gospel would probably follow speedih^ the crescent 
would wane and disappear, while the cross would shine 
resplendently in its stead. 

Historical Mission Work. 

Relig-iously Persia is a very important link in the 
chain of Moslem lands from Morocco to the walls of 
China and the frontiers of India. This chain we may 
consider as broken in a measure by the French occupation 



of Alg-iers and the British occupation of Eg"ypt and 
Russia's annexation of the great khanates of Turkestan. 
Of the four independent Moslem powers, Morocco, Tur- 
key, Persia and Afghanistan, Persia has probably the 
most innate vitality and the best prospect of national 
life, and is at the same time the most open to religious 
chang-e. In Turkey the Sultan is caliph, the g-overn- 
ment is a theocracy, and the teachers of relig^ion must 
be kept in harmony with the state. In Persia there is 
more antagonism. The king- and his rulers are g-lad to 
humble the Mollahs and not infrequently the highest 
Mushtahid of a city is called to the capitol or cast into 
prison because he has overstepped his limit and excited 
mobs or riot or opposed the civil governor. In this con- 
flict between the civil and eccliastical powers there is 
an opening for a larg-e deg^ree of toleration. Larg-e 
communities of people in Persia were never content 
under the Moslem system and they wear it as a yoke. 
The Ali Illahees form the majority of the population in 
some districts, and in other districts the Babis, adher- 
ents of a mystical belief that is undermining- the whole 
structure of Islam. 

Persia is not yet like Japan, a nation in search of a 
relig-ion, but there are many indications that the cycle 
of Islam is drawing- to a close, and thousands are weary 
and heavy laden, and some are hearing- the voice of 
Jesus say, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." 

In Kurdistan and some parts of Persia live the Yezi- 
dees or Devil-Worshipers. Hundreds of them have 
been killed in the attempt to force them under the yoke 
of Islam. These poor heathenish people in their dis- 
tress turn to missionaries and beg- to be enrolled as Pro- 
testants and to receive Christian instruction. The}^ are 
verily a heathen race with Satan enthroned as their 
chief deity. Their belief is that for 10,000 years the 
g-overnment of this world is committed by the Supreme 

-162- 



God to His Satanic Majesty. Among- the Jews, who 
number about 50,000 in these parts of Persia and Kur- 
distan mountains, there is a similar unrest. Some are 
looking- to Jerusalem for orders to return. Some are 
asking- when will our Messiah come, and some are read- 
ing- the evidence and saying-, "He has come." Some 
also who at first are drawn by the words of Jesus fall 
back into the subtle pantheistic doctrines of Babism. 
It is a sing-ular fact that in Russia some of the dissenters 
from the established Church have embraced Judaism, 
and quite as sing-ular that in Persia there is a tendency 
of dissenting- Jews to accept Babism. But here ag-ain, 
there is the better sig-n that Jesus Christ by His char- 
acter and His cross and His Spirit from on hig-h, is in 
the hearts of this long- exiled people. 

The field of Persia contains a larg-e number of 
nominal Christians as well as Jews. The heart of 
Kurdistan is in that field and we are called upon to have 
a g-reat share. O, how little is done for g-reat Kurdistan, 
whose people number about 5,000,000. Taken tog-ether 
what a marvelous field it is ! What field an3^where can 
compare with it for marvelous variety and wonderful 
possibility? We are laying- foundations and can see but 
little, but the g-reat Master Builder is g"oing- to rear a 
temple there. What a temple it will be when all the 
varied stones have been quarried and polished and built 
onto Christ the corner-stone? Three g-reat racial fami- 
lies of the g-lobe, Arj^n, Semitic and Turanian, are here 
represented. The contrasts in natural scenery are no 
more striking- than those of races. The snowy crag-s of 
Jelu, the burning- plains of Mesopotamia, the rocky can- 
yons of Ravandooz, the deep g-org-es of the Zab, the fer- 
tile plains of Oroomiah are no more dissimilar than are 
the Armenian, the suave Jacobite, the crafty Persian, 
the stolid Turk, the wild Arab, the savag-e Kurd, 
the patient Jew, and the oppressed Nestorian. 

—163— 



There is the orthodox Islam of the Sunni, the 
heretical Islam of the Shiah, the reformed Islam of 
the Babi, and the heathenish Islam of the Ali-Illahi. 
Ag-ain, since Persia became Mohammedan and so far 
closed to Christian truth, God has opened special ways 
of access to the people. His providence has in the tur- 
moil of the centuries, planted here and there throug-h 
the land, frag-ments of Christian churches. To relig-ht 
in these the candle of the spirits presence, long* since 
extinct, has been an essential step toward illuminating- 
the surrounding- mass of Mohammedan darkness. 

History beg-an in Persia. Kden was in or within her 
borders. The builders of Babel had come "from the 
east" to the land of two rivers. There was the home 
of civilization and the nursery of the nations. Iran or 
Persia in its larg-est sense was a true center of popula- 
tion, of knowledg-e, of lang-uag-es and of arts, which 
instead of traveling- westward only, as has been fanci- 
fully supposed, or eastward as mig-ht with equal reason 
have been asserted were expanded in all directions, to 
all reg-ions of the world. Of the founder of the Persian 
Empire, Isaiah prophecied, "thus saith the Lord to His 
annointed, to Cyrus, whose rig-ht hand I have holden to 
subdue nations before him." I will ^o before thee, Cyrus 
is my shepherd, and will perform all my pleasure. Thus, 
by the hand of God, the little king-dom of Pars on the 
g-ulf, Iran, widened and conquered till it comprised the 
western half of Asia, and the lower valley of the Nile. 
The g-reat empire to some deg-ree symbolized the g-lori- 
ous and everlasting- king-dom of Jesus Christ, and Cyrus 
was a type of the g-reat shepherd of the sheep. By 
Cyrus and his successors the Jews were delivered from 
the Assyrians, were restored to Judea with their conse- 
crated vessels of silver and g-old, and were authorized 
and protected in rebuilding- Jerusalem. A larg-e part of 
the race, however, remained in the land of captivity and 

-164- 



were saved from destruction by the beautiful queetl 
EstJi^; they had dispersed to all the hundred and twenty- 
seven provinces of Xerxes, and the dominion of Cyrus 
had included also the cities of the Medes to which the 
ten tribes had been carried awa}^ It is worthy of note 
also, that the Persians were the one people who could 
sympathize with the Jews in the hatred of idolatry, and 
there is evidence that a Persian version of the Old Tes- 
tament was used in the synag-og-ues. From this data, 
notwithstanding- the fact that the chosen people were 
exiled for their disloyalty to Jehovah, we may safely 
infer that his word and worship were carried throughout 
the vast empire of their captors in Persia as in the 
Roman Empire, the dispersion was a Providential prepa- 
ration for Christianity. 

Persia's historic relation to the king-dom of God be- 
gan, it may be, when the wise men from the Kast seeing 
his star came and worshiped the new born King ; they 
were Persians, as their coming forshadowed the bowing 
of Persia and all nations to our Lord ; and when the 
fulfilment of the prophecy "I will pour out my spirit on 
all flesh," began at Pentecost, the strangers present 
whose names are first on the list are "Parthians, Medes, 
Klamates," all dwellers in this same land. Peter him- 
self, accompanied by his wife, toiled over the fiery des- 
erts, and preached at least at Babylon. Mark was 
with him and tradition sa3^s that two others of the 
apostles, also Thomas and Matthew labored in the Per- 
sian field. 

Of early Persian Christianity, little is known. His- 
torians tell us that it flourished and spread, and from 
the silence of history it is thought that under the Par- 
thians there was no long and fierce persecution. But 
with the rise of the Persian dynasty of the Sassanides 
(A. D. 226), there came a revival of the ancient worship, 
and a determined effort was made to put down all other 



—16: 



relig-ion. From the time of King- Sapor, when Christi- 
anity conquered heathenism in the Roman empire, the 
Christians of Persia threw in their sympathies with the 
Christian state. Almost simultaneously, therefore, with 
the war ag-ainst Constantine, there beg-an in the year 
339 a rigorous persecution of the Christians. It con- 
tinued forty years, and according- to Mares, bishop of 
Seleucia at the time, furnished 160,000 martyrs. This 
may be an exagg-eration, but the Syrian "Acts of Per- 
sian Martyrs " records their g-reat numbers and terrible 
sufferings. In 410, the tolerant Zazdgird I. permitted a 
synod of Christians to riieet in his capital, and sent the 
primate of the church on a mission to the Roman Em- 
peror. The severe persecutions of his successor, Bahman 
v., a favorite hero of Persian tradition, ended with the 
war with Rome in 422. Religious freedom was then 
guaranteed by treaty to Zoroastrians in the Roman 
empire, and to Christians in Persia. But the accession 
of his son, Yazdegird II., in 438, was marked by renewed 
persecution of Jews and Christians. In consequence, a 
rebellion in Armenia was not quelled until the king 
promised to his subjects complete liberty of worship. 
Those were also times of fearless missionary enterprise. 
In 334, a bishop was settled in far-off Tros, in Khoras- 
san. A metropolitan, implying several bishops and 
numerous converts, existed in Mero as early as 420 A. D., 
and about that time a see was established at Herat. 

During these centuries the mind of Persia was thor- 
oughly hostile to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Her 
philosophy and religion furnished the germs of many of 
the great heresies — Gnosticism, Manichaeism, and other 
systems of theosopy, that rent the Christian church. 
Bishop Nestorius, of Constantinople, was willing to call 
Mary the Mother of God, but denied her divinity, and he 
held to the union of two natures in one person in Christ. 
Falsely accused, he was condemned unheard, and 



-166- 



banished. His followers, luiall}^ driven from the Roman 
Empire in 489 A. D., found a home in Persia. Bor- 
sumos, the founder of the seminary at Nisibis, which 
sent out so many learned missionaries, had worked for 
his fellow believers from 440 to 485, with such marvel- 
ous enterprise and skill that they became the chief 
Christian sect of the country. 

It was the mission of the Nestorians to carry the 
Gospel to the g-reat heathen East, and they were not 
unfaithful to their opportunity. "For centuries," says 
Tracy in his history, "they maintained missions in Tar- 
tary, China and other eastern regions." Their churches 
were scattered from Syria and Cyprus to Pekin, and from 
the coasts of Malabar and Ceylon to the borders of Si- 
beria. Some of the Chinese emperors favored Christianity, 
and ordered the erection of numerous churches. The 
converts are supposed to have numbered more than the 
Greek and Latin communions. If the monument of 
Sig-an Fu, China, is trustworthy, they had preached 
Christ in that land before 636 A. D. Prominent mention 
should be made here of the scholar and missionary, Sub- 
chalyesn, who about the close of the eig-hth century, 
preached with g-reat success to the Gelae on the Caspian 
shore. Thoug-h formal compacts of toleration may not 
have been made by Mahammed and Omar with the Nes- 
torians, as has been asserted by some writers and denied 
by others, yet many of them occupied hig-h places of 
state during- the Arabic domination. And thoug-h the 
Arabs ruled the country from the decisive battle of 
Nehorvend, in 462, yet Islam was compelled to compro- 
mise with the more flexible and more tolerant g-enius of 
the Persians. Hence the churches' opportunities for 
proselytism. But with all its opportunities and achieve- 
ments, Nestorianism never rose to be more than a sect of 
Christianity, in which "the simplicity of the g-ospel was 
fashioned and painted with the colors of the Syriac 



-167— 



tiieolog-y." Its power was vitiated by superstition and 
therefore it proved unable to permanently mould and 
purify the nations. By the year 1000 Islam was advanc- 
ing- and by the year 1300 had gained the ascendency in 
the countries east of the Caspian, where Christianity had 
long- been firmly established. The big-oted and zealous 
Mohammed, sultan of Cabul in the eleventh century, 
had, it is thought, made millions of Moslems by his 
sword. And when, at the end of the fourteenth cen- 
tury, the ferocious Tamerlane, the greatest of conquer- 
ors, swept over Asia like a whirlwind of fire, there fol- 
lowed the terrible anarchy and persecution that shrivel- 
led and blasted the churches. Romish missions also 
accelerated their rapid decline. By 1500 A. D. Nestorian 
Christianity was almost extinct in the lands of its great- 
est triumphs. The miserable remnant of the church, 
that for five centuries had carried the cross over Asia, 
was discovered early in the present century hid away in 
the mountains of Kurdistan. 

John de Monte Corvino, the great Romish missionary 
to the Mongols and Chinese and who became archbishop 
of Pekin, labored at Tabriz, Persia, near the end of the 
thirteenth century. His work was short, but very suc- 
cessful. Speedy conversions, however, were followed 
by speedy defections. About 1341 A. D. the Romanists 
produced a faulty and interpolated translation of the 
four Gospels. In the seventeenth century they seemed 
to have, at least, a firm foothold in the country, but 
their influence gradually weakened. Now they have 
missions in several cities with schools, churches and two 
or three small nunneries ; all the work of the present 
century. The number of the pupils and converts is 
about 5,000. 

In 1747, two heroic Moravians, Hocker and Rueffer, 
medical missionaries, penetrated to Ispahan to work 
among the fire-worshipers. They suffered repeated 

—168— 



robbery and hardship such as being- compelled to travel 
over the deserts in the burning sun on foot and nearly 
naked. Because of the anarchy and misery of the land 
under Nadir Shah, they left the country, unable to accom- 
plish anything-. With the nineteenth century dawned 
the 9ra of evang-elical missions in Persia. Among- the 
worthy men devoted to this work was Henr}^ Mart}^. 
On June 9, 1811, he reached Shiraz from India. In that 
city of Persian learning- and Moslem bigotry, "seat of 
satan," as he named it, he revised his translation of the 
New Testament, and boldly preached the Son of God. 
The story of that work, his controversies with the 
keenest teachers of Islam, of his terrible journey to pre- 
sent a copy of the translation to the Shah, his three 
months' sickness at Tabriz, his last ride, and lonely 
death at Tocat, October 16, 1812, has inspired his suc- 
cessors for more than 80 years. (No finer missionary 
consecration has blessed the Church of Christ.) 

In 1829, Rev. Dr. Pfander, of the Basle society, 
entered Tabriz. The fruit of his brief labor was various 
treatises, and in particular the important "Balance of 
Truth," exhibiting the evidences of Mohammedanism 
and Christianity. Rev. Frederick Hans and other Ger- 
mans after a four-years' struggle with unscrupulous 
bigotry at Tabriz, were compelled to withdraw in 1837. 
Grover worked at Bagdad from 1829 to 1833, and Mer- 
rick in various parts of the country, from 1835 to 1845. 
Their efforts, largely failures, were mainly on behalf of 
Mussulmans. Dr. William Glen, of the Scottish Mis- 
sionary Society, entered the field in July, 1838. He had 
spent several years at Astrachan, Russia, where he had 
worked at a Persian translation of the Old Testament. 
Completing this in 1847, he went to Scotland to super- 
intend the printing. At the age of 70 he returned, and 
lived at Teheran, to aid in circulating the Scriptures. 
In the court of the old Armenian church in that city, is 

—169 - 



a mu?'ai tdihlet in his memory. What stars will shine 
in their crowns, w^ho opened to Persia's millions the word 
of life. About 1832, Messrs. Smith and Dwig-ht were 
sent by the A. B. C. F. M. to explore the reg-ions of 
Northern Persia. They decided to establish a mission 
among- the Nestorians. 

In 1835 Messrs. Perkins and Grant were appointed 
the first missionaries; they arrived at Oroomiah and 
established a school. The school room was in a base- 
ment. They had no books, but just used wall cards. 
The studies were confined to the Bible, a little arith- 
metic and g-eography. The pupils consisted of bishops, 
priests, elders and deacons of the old Nestorian Church. 
In 1843 Mr. Stoddard was appointed superintendent of 
the school in "Sery," about three miles from Oroomiah 
city. The condition of women in Persia in the year 
1835 when the missionaries first went there was very 
different from that of today. At that time only one 
woman in the whole country could read. Her name was 
Helena, the sister of the Patriarch. At that time the 
houses were large, and the whole family connection 
lived in the one home, sometimes thirty in one house. 
Women were treated as slaves. After doing- the house- 
work they had to work in the fields like men and care 
for their little ones while they worked. At the same 
time they were often brutally abused by their husbands 
and called cats, cows, donkeys, etc. The first mission- 
aries were g-reatly used by God to scatter the deep dark- 
ness. It was with great difficulty that they found op- 
portunity to teach a few small g-irls a short time each 
day. The work prog-ressed very slowly. In 1843 the 
well known Miss Fisk established a boarding school. 
She only understood one word in the Syriac language, 
the word "girl." When she would meet with the people, 
she would ask for a girl and pass on. The people 
thought that she wanted to make bees of them and make 

—170— 



them fly to America, so they would not let them g-o. 
At last she found four, and one morning* while sitting- 
in her room she saw Mar Yohannan coming- with two 
g-irls. She met him at the door, and her heart was so 
full of love that she wept for joy. He told her that 
they were her property and none could take them away. 
She had no books. The lessons were written on a long- 
paper and hung- on the walls. Out of these schools 
hundreds of young- men and women have been educated 
and enlig-htened and fed on the living- word of God, and 
they have indeed been as salt to every house or com- 
munity they have g-one to. 

All the work of the American board in Persia was in 
1871 transferred to the Presbyterian board of the United 
States of America. At present they have about twenty- 
four hundred communicants and larg-e attendance in 
their schools. In 1869 the Eng-lish Missionary Society 
occupied Ispahan later on also Bushire, American mis- 
sionaries are at present located at Teheran, Hamadan, 
Tabriz and Oroomiah. A number of out-stations are 
occupied by native helpers and the rest of the ten mil- 
lions are practically uncared for. A majority of the 
large cities and nearly all of the smaller ones are not 
even occupied as out-stations. In 1887 Arch-bishop of 
Canterbury, London, sent missionaries to Oroomiah who 
are co-operating- with the Nestorian Church. In 1894 
the Lutheran missionaries for Mohammedans, under the 
auspices of Pastor Faber of Berlin, Germany, were 
sent to make their headquarters at Oroomiah. The 
missionaries were Zerweek and Kitzle ; but they were 
not careful enoug-h to conceal their plan of labor and 
told everywhere their intentions and desires for the 
future. The plan was made public by the press as well 
as by words. All their plans were communicated to the 
Shah of Persia, who teleg-raphed his order to these 
missionaries to leave at once his country and depart from 



171- 



its borders. As there is no relig-ious liberty among the 
Mohammedan public as yet, all applications were in 
vain, and the saddest thing- in the whole trouble was the 
early and unexpected death of Pastor Kitzle, a young- 
and learned minister of the Gospel, who found his g-rave 
in a country where he was not allowed to live and labor 
for Christ and the salvation of souls. His companion, 
Dr. Zerweek, returned to Germany. 

There is another g-rand work which needs our atten- 
tion, the work which has been accomplished by Pastor 
Peria Yohannan, a native of Persia and a g-raduate of 
Hermansburg-, Germany, and who received his support 
from there. The pastor's work has been larg-ely in 
Wazeriwa and the neig-hboring-villag-es. Much has been 
done by his effort in teaching, preaching and spreading 
God's word. The simplicity of his living and the manner 
of conducting his work has much to do with his success. 

The^ Kurds. 

Kurdistan is a geographical name applied to the 
Kurdistan Mountains, and sometimes to the whole coun- 
try inhabited by the Kurds. The area is estimated at 
50,000 square miles, extending to Mt. Ararat, in Armenia, 
on the north, to the plains of the Tigris on the south,- 
to the city of Harput, Sivan, on the west, and to the 
plains of Oroomiah and the city of Sakis on the east. 
Thus, this territory is partly subject to the Shah of 
Persia and partly to the Sultan of Turkey. The bound- 
ary line is a point of dispute, although in A. D. 1639 
a treaty between the Shah Sef avi and one of the Sultans 
of Turkey established the frontier line, which since has 
served as a nominal line between the two empires. On 
the territory here described not only Kurds reside, but 
also Turks, Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians and Per- 
sians. The Kurds are descendants of the ancient Car- 
duchi, with whom Xenophon and the 10,000 had so long 

-172— 



a strug-g-le. The reg-ioti they occupy is as rug-g-ed as 
their character. They are by far the most turbulent of 
the subjects of the Shah, and were it not for the beauti- 
ful rug's they manufacture in their rude dwellings, one^ 
would be at a loss to imag-ine a reason for their exist- 
ence. Their orig-in is wrapt in obscurity ; they seem to 
have no relationship with an}^ other race, and as with 
Cain, their hand is ag-ainst everyone and everyone's 
hand ag^ainst them. The ethymolog-ist who places little 
value on his life, mig-ht find a few months among- the 
mountains of Kurdistan of some profit to science. They, 
themselves, claim that they are descendants of Esau. 
They speak a mixed lang-uag-e, collected from Persian, 
Syrian and Arabic lang^uag^es. Their lang^uag^e is called 
Kurmanji, and has never been reduced to writing-, so 
they are without books or schools. If any writing- is 
done, it is done in the Persian or Arabic characters. 
They number about 5,000.000; 700,000 are subjects of 
the Shah, and a few to the Sultan of Turkey, but prac- 
tically all are lawless and beyond the control of either 
of these two g-overnments. A Kurd is very decided and 
independent in spirit. He would rather live in a cave 
under a projecting- rock, and be unmolested, than to 
dwell in a palace and be subject to hig-her authority. 
Some of the tribes have a small villag-e in the mountains, 
to which the}' return in winter. Their houses are made 
of stone and clay, and are usually under projecting- rocks 
or on the slope of a hill. The roof is so low that a man 
cannot stand erect. 

The Kurds very seldom cultivate the soil, but keep 
herds of cattle and horses and flocks of sheep, and travel 
from place to place, wherever they may find g-ood pas- 
tures for their flock. A Kurd g-oes before his sheep, 
having- a staff in his hand, and on his shoulder hang-s a 
bag- in which he has provisions for the day. He g-ives 
names to his sheep, and when he calls a certain sheep it 



comes to him. He often may be seen sitting-, sing-ing- 
and playing- his flute, his fond flock g-athered around 
about him for an audience. But the principal occupa- 
tion is robbery. Many may be seen asleep during- the 
day, but they rise at sunset and start on their robbing- 
expeditions. The Kurd has a spear in one hand, sword 
at his side, pistol and dag-g-er in his belt, with many 
cartridg-es, and a g-un in the other hand. Dark eyes, 
and a turban covering- much of his forehead, makes him 
a fearful looking- fellow. When they start at dusk they 
are ready to rob and kill ; by the next day at 9 o'clock, 
they return with their prey of flocks, herds and valuable 
goods, and then rest for a time. 

During- the g-reater part of summer they live in tents 
in the cool places on the mountain slopes and in the val- 
leys. In winter they dwell in houses built under g-round 
most of them containing- only one room, with one or two 
small holes on the top for lig-ht. This one apartment 
answers the purpose of bedroom, parlor, kitchen and 
stable. In daytime all inmates are out, but towards 
sunset they come dropping- in, one by one, at least a score 
of them, men, women and children. The hens, how- 
ever, have already turned in in advance and are perched 
in a corner for the nig-ht ; sheep, oxen and horses have 
been stalled, each in its well-known place. After nig-ht 
has fairly set in, coarse, stale bread and sour milk are 
broug-ht in for supper. Two spoons and one big- dish is 
all the plate, and the spoons are passed to each in turn — 
all in the dark, as they have no lig-hts. It is now bed- 
time, and one after the other finds his place under the 
same quilt, without a pillow or bed, except perhaps some 
hay spread on the floor. In a few minutes all are fast 
asleep, and soon the heavy breathing- and snoring- of men 
and cattle is ming-led, and the effect is anything- but 
pleasant to the ear. 

Parents teach their children how to become successful 

-174- 



thieves. A father will g-ive his son of 6 or 7 years 
of ag-e, a pistol, dag-g-er and shield and then play robber 
with the child, showing- him how to use these deadly 
instruments. A Kurd once told the writer of his timid 
son. The child was afraid to steal. The father wanted 
to make him a successful thief and so tried the follow- 
ing- plan: The first nig-ht he sent the child to steal 
g-rapes from his own yard ; the second nig-ht corn from 
his own crib ; the third nig-ht grapes from a strang-er, 
next a chicken, then a sheep, then to enter a house, and 
so on until the youth became a most daring- hig-h- 
way robber. Then the father was proud of his son and 
told him that he had become a man and could marry. 
The g-irls of these tribes will not marry a man until his 
reputation as a successful robber is established. They 
wish to be assured that they will not starve after mar- 
riag-e. The Kurds are divided into tribes, each tribe 
having- a chief. These tribes are g-enerally enemies 
with one another. The chief of a tribe will lead his 
men ag-ainst another tribe and kill all the men and take 
the flocks, herds and all other property as booty. But 
they do not harm the women and children. An old man 
is not honored by a tribe. They say he can't fig-ht nor 
rob and is g-ood for nothing- but to feed sheep. The 
man most hig-hly honored is the one who has killed the 
most men. When a man is killed in battle, or while 
robbing-, he is honored at the funeral b}' the sing-ing- of 
many song-s, by weeping- and lamentations, but not 
many tears are shed when one dies a natural death. 
The Kurds are very quick-tempered. A slig-ht offense 
will make them enemies and they will at once seek 
reveng-e. The}^ are very fond of fig-hting- and war, very 
active and nimble in climbing- mountains and in a run- 
ning- fig-ht. They love to revile an enemy, and are con- 
tinually trying- to invent new and more severe expres- 
sions of hatred. It is their nature to quarrel and fig-ht. 

-175- 



Brothers often become ang-ered over a small matter and 
fight to the death. Thej think no more of killing- a man 
than we do of killing* a chicken. They are very licen- 
tious, especially those living- in towns and cities. Hus- 
band and wife are not loyal to each other and this is 
frequently the cause of murder. As a people they have 
no foresig-ht, having- no thoug-ht for the morrow. 

The Kurdish relig-ion is Islam and that of the Sunni 
sect. They are very relig-ious, pray five times a day, 
always before leaving- their homes so as to have success 
in their robbery. Before each prayer they perform the 
abolutions ; when a man is praying- no woman must 
touch him lest she mig-ht g-et the benefit of his prayer, 
as women have no soul and if she touch him she would 
g-et his soul and he would lose it. If a woman should 
come near to him during- his prayer the man would stop, 
step out of the circle of prayer and then take up his 
g-un and shoot the woman, then continue his prayer. 
Their women wear an exceeding-ly picturesque costume. 
They have dark complexions, with eyes and hair inten- 
sely black. Their beauty is not of a refined type but 
by a mass of paint is made sufficiently attractive for 
their easily-pleased husbands. Almost all the work, in 
and out of doors, is done by them. Karly in the morn- 
ing- when they are throug-h with their home work they 
hasten to field to attend to the flocks or g-ather fuel for 
use in winter. In the evening- they come in with larg-e 
burdens on their backs, which appear to be quite enoug-h 
for two donkeys to carry. So industrious are they that 
they frequently spin on their way to and from work, 
sing-ing- all the while apparently as happy as if all the 
world were theirs. The difficulties and ailments of 
womanhood are nothing- to them. A woman with child 
will g-o out among- the rocks, climbing- the mountain 
heig-hts. Her time of labor is at hand, but she does not 
cease her usual toil. In the evening- a woman may be 




PERSIAN BARBER. 




w 

V-i 

a 



seen coming- down the mountain sing-ing- with a heavy 
burden of fuel on her back, and in her arms the child to 
which she has g-iven birth during- the da}-. Even this 
the men do not appreciate or reward, they will not hesi- 
tate, when it is raining-, to drag- the women from the 
tent to make room for a favorite steed. 

Their chief priests are called Sheikhs and are hon- 
ored as ^ods. They kneel before a chief priest and kiss 
his hands, clothes and shoes, and ask for his blessing-. 
To penitent ones he promises that he will ask God to 
forg-ive their sins. He has absolute power over laymen. 
They believe his words as inspired truth and obey im- 
plicitly. I knew of one Sheikh who bathed ever}^ morn- 
ing in a spring- and the people would flock to this place 
to draw of the water to drink, in which he had washed 
his body. The father of the late Sheikh Obeidullah 
assisted the Sultan in the late Russian-Turkish war. 
commanded more than 100,000 Kurds to fig-ht ag-ainst 
Russia. He told them not to be afraid of the big- can- 
nons that would be seen when they met the Russians. 
He said, "I have by the help of Allah bound the mouth 
of these cannon and they cannot hurt you." It is said 
that he would arise every morning- with black hands 
and claim they had been blackened by the g-unpowder of 
these cannons, and that he had been in battle all night 
with the Russians and was not harmed at all. This 
would encourage more Kurds to go into battle, and be- 
lieving this statement, they marched wildly and 
flew into the faces of these big guns and many thous- 
ands were slain. For a while this Sheikh had an Ar- 
menian servant, who was attending to the horse which 
the Sheikh himself rode, and which was one of the most 
excellent horses. One morning while he was taking care 
of the horse, he kicked him, and drawing his dagger he 
thrust it right through the horse ; soon he was brought 
to answer for this and everyone was anxious to shed his 



—177— 



blood. The servant said, "Allow me to speak a word 
before you take my life. How long- will you be hard to 
believe, the horse being* in the front of the battle, was 
struck by the enemy, but bravely defended the Sheikh." 
This pleased the Sheikh immensely and heg^ave the serv- 
ant many g-ifts and robes, and said to the soldiers, 
''Look at this infidel how he has testified for me, 
therefore, how much more should you believe me." The 
servant seeing" his master treat the multitude so foolish- 
ly, succeeded in treating- his master in the same manner. 
These wild Kurds, who are a band of robbers, have 
no other org-anization, being- simply a band of robbers. 
Out of their number the Sultan of Turkey created the 
so-called Hamidieh troops in 1891. This was an appli- 
cation of the same principle that prompts him at other 
times to throw open the prison doors and invite the con- 
victs to rob and kill Christians. These Hamidieh troops 
will g-o and attack villag-es, dishonor women and abduct 
g-irls of tender ag-e. I assure you that the butchery of 
Sassoum was but a drop in the ocean of Christian blood- 
shed, occurring- silently, and few by few all over the 
empire year after year, month after month and day 
after day. Innocent women and children have been 
shot down, clubbed to death in their houses and fields, 
tortured in cells, or left to exile under the scorching- sun 
of Arabia. The piteous cry of starving- children, the 
g-roans of old men who have lived to see what can never 
be embodied in words, the violation of maidenhood, nay 
of tender childhood; the shrieks of mothers made child- 
less by crimes, compared with which murder w^ould be 
a blessing; the screams of women, scarcely human, 
working- under the lash; and all the vain voices of blood 
and ag-ony that die away in that desert without having- 
found responsive echoes — all this cannot possibly fail to 
find an echo in heaven sooner or later! 



—m 



The Guebres ok Fire-Worshipers. 

The founder of this relig"ioa was Zoroaster, who lived 
about 1200 B. C. There are two prevailing- ideas about 
his birth-place, some believing- that it was Babylonia, 
while others say it was Oroomiah. There are many 
good reasons for believing that Oroomiah was his birth- 
place. 1st. The original worshipers were Persians, and 
their relig-ion was started in Persia; 2d. AH oriental 
scholars and writers suppose this was his native city ; 
3d. In the district immediately surround.tig- Oroomiah, 
there are more than twenty-five immense hills of ashes, 
the remaining- monuments of the fire-worshipers of this 
reg-ion. The relig-ious book of the Parsees is called 
Avesta, which means, the revelation. The lang-uag-e is 
Zend, from which the Persian lang-uage is derived. 

According- to Zoroaster's philosophy, our world is 
the work of two hostile principals — Spenta-mainyush, 
the g-ood principal, and Ang-ro-mainyush, the evil prin- 
cipal ; both serving- under one God. All that is g-ood in 
the world comes from the former ; all that is bad comes 
from the latter. Zoroastrian philosophy teaches that 
your good thoug-hts, good words and good deeds alone 
will be your intercessors. Nothing more will be wanted. 
They alone will save you, as a safe pilot to the harbor 
of Heaven, as a safe guide to the gates of Paradise. 
Thus, Zoroastrianism teaches the immortality of the 
soul. A plant called white homa, which is the emblem 
of immortality, is guarded by innumerable guarding 
spirits. The number of these guarding spirits is 99,999. 
Again, Zoroastrianism admits a heaven and a hell. 
Between heaven and this world there is supposed to be 
a bridge called "Genevat." According to the Parsee 
scriptures, for three days after a man's death his soul 
remains within the limits of this world, under the guid- 
ance of the angel Srosh. If the deceased be a pious 



man, or a man who led a virtuous life, his soul utters 
the words, "Well is he, by whom that, which is his ben- 
efit, becomes the benefit of anyone else." If he be a 
wicked man or one who led evil life, his soul utters 
these plaintive words: "To which land shall I turn? 
Whither shall I g-o ? " On the dawn of the third nig-ht, 
the departed souls appear at the " Genevat bridge. " This 
bridg-e is guarded by the angel Meher Daver, i. e., Meher, 
the judge. He presides there as a judge assisted 
by the angels Rashue and Astad, the former repre- 
senting justice and the latter truth. At this bridge, 
and before the angel Meher, the soul of every man 
has to give an account of its doings in the past life. 
Meher Daver, the judge, weighs a man's actions by a 
scale-pan. If a man's good actions outweigh his evil 
ones, even by a small particle, he is allowed to pass from 
the bridge to the other end, to heaven; if his evil actions 
outweigh his good ones, even by a small weight, he is 
not allowed to pass over the bridge, but is hurled down 
into the deep abyss of hell; if his meritorious and evil 
deeds counter-balance each other, he is sent to a place 
known as " Hamast-gehan," corresponding to the Cath- 
olic " purgatory." His meritorious deeds would prevent 
him from going to hell, and his evil actions would not 
let him go to heaven. Again, Zoroastrian books say 
that the merit of good deeds, and the guiltiness for bad 
ones, increase with the growth of time, as capital 
increases with interest. Thus, a meritorious deed done 
in youth is more effective than that very deed done in 
advanced age. 
xi The Parsee's places of worship are known as fire 
temples. They believe that the holy fire was brought 
down from Heaven by Zoroaster. Only high priests can 
approach it, and they must wear a half-mask over their 
face, lest their breath should defile it, and dare not ever 
touch it with their hands, but with golden tools. 



-180- 



Tobacco-smoking- is prohibited, as the smoker would 
defile the holy fire. " In the eyes of a Parsee his holy 
fire's brig-htness, activity, purity and incorruptibility 
bear the most perfect semblance to the nature and per- 
fection of the deity." In establishing- a fire temple fires 
from various places of manufacture are broug-ht, and 
kept in different vases. Great efforts are also mada to 
obtain fire caused by lig-htning-. Over one of these fires 
a perforated metallic, flat tray, with a handle attached, 
is held. On this tray are placed small chips and dust of 
frag-rant sandalwood. These chips and dust are ignited 
by the heat of the fire below, care being- taken that the 
perforated tray does not touch the fire. Thus a new fire 
is created out of the first fire. Then from this new fire 
another one is created by the same process. From this 
new fire another is ag-ain produced, and so on, until the 
process is repeated nine times. The fire thus prepared 
after the ninth process is considered pure. The fires 
broug-ht from other places of manufacture are treated in 
a similar manner. These purified fires are all collected 
tog-ether upon a larg-e vase, which is then put m Jis 
proper place in a separate chamber. Again when a 
Parsee g-oes before the sacred fire which is kept all day 
and nig-ht burning- in the fire temples the officiating- 
priest presents before him the ashes of a part of the con- 
sumed fire. The Parsee applies it to his forehead. A 
Parsee prays sixteen times during- the day, the same 
prayers have to be repeated by the fire-worshippers. 
He repeats his prayers early when he arises in the morn- 
ing- and before and after washing, before and after each 
meal, etc. But three main prayers are to the sun, when 
the sun comes up, with bared breast he stands upon the 
banks of the river, as soon as the rays of the sun appear 
he repeats his prayer. And at noon when the sun is 
right above, in like manner he repeats his prayer and at 
nig-ht, while the sun is g-oing- down, they are all waiting- 



—181— 



to offer up their prayers to the sun which is fast disap- 
pearing*. The children are always present at these 
prayers and are standing on the banks of the riv^ers and 
and are instructed and taug-ht how to repeat the prayers. 
The following is one of the prayers to the sun or to the 
fire: "O, Omniscient Lord! I repent of all my sins. 
I repent of all evil thoug-hts that I mig^ht have enter- 
tained in my mind, of all the evil words that I mig-ht 
have spoken, of all the evil actions that I mig^ht have 
committed. O, Omniscient Lord ! I repent of all the 
faults that mig-ht have orig"inated with me, whether they 
refer to thoug-hts, words, or deeds, whether they pertain 
to my body or soul, whether they be in connection with 
the material world or spiritual." 

To educate their children is a spiritual duty of 
Zoroastrian parents. Education is necessary, not only 
for the material good of the children and the parents, 
but also for their spiritual good. According- to the 
Parsee books, the parents participate in the meritorious- 
ness of the good acts performed by their children as the 
result of a good education, imparted to them. On the 
other hand, if the parents neglect the education of their 
children, and if as the result of this neglect, they do 
wonderful acts or evil deeds, the parents have a spiritual 
responsibility for such acts. In proportion to the malig- 
nity or evilness of these acts the parents are responsible 
to God for the neglect of the education of their children. 
It is, as it were, a spiritual self-interest that must 
prompt a Parsee to look to the good education of his 
children at an early age. The proper age recommended 
by religious Parsee books for ordinary education is 7. 
Before that age children should have home education 
with their parents, especially with the mother. At the 
age of 7, after a little religious education, a Parsee child 
is invested with Sudreh and Kusti, i. e., the sacred shirt 
and thread. A Parsee may put on the dress of any 

—182- 



nationality he likes, but under that dress he must always 
wear the sacred shirt and thread. These are the sym- 
bols of his being- a Zoroastrian. 

These symbols are full of meaning, and act as per- 
petual monitors, advising" the wearer to lead a life of 
purity, of physical and spiritual purity. A Parsee is 
enjoined to remove and put on again immediately the 
sacred thread several times during the day, saying a 
very short prayer during" the process. He has to do so 
early in the morning" on rising" from bed, before meals 
and after ablutions. The putting on of symbolic thread 
and the accompanying" short prayer remind him to be in 
a state of repentance for misdeeds, if any, and to pre- 
serve g"ood thoughts, g"ood words and g"ood deeds. 

Female education claims as much attention among" 
the Parsees as male education. Physical education is as 
much spoken of in the Zoroastrian books as mental and 
moral education. The health of the body is considered 
the first requisite for the health of the soul. That the 
physical education of the ancient Persians, the ancestors 
of the modern Parsees, was a subject of admiration 
among the ancient Greeks and Romans is well known. 

Obedience to parents is a religious virtue with the 
Zoroastrian religion. One of the blessings that a priest 
prays for in a house on performing the Afringan cere- 
mony is the obedience of the children to the head of the 
family. He prays: "May obedience overcome disobed- 
ience in this house; may peace overcome dissension; may 
charity overcome want of charity; may courtesy over- 
come pride; may truth overcome falsehood." Zoroas- y(^ 
trianism asks its disciples to keep the earth pure, to 
keep the air pure and to keep the water pure. It considers 
the sun as the greatest purifier. In places where the 
rays of the sun do not enter, fire over which fragrant 
wood is burnt is the next purifier. It is a great sin to 
pollute water by decomposing matter. Not only is the 



—183- 



commission of a fault of this kind sin, but also the omis- 
sion, when one sees such a pollution, of taking- proper 
means to remove it. On the domestic and social life of 
the Parsees we find that, according- to the teaching-s of 
the Parsee books, a husband is the king- and the wife 
the queen of the household. On the husband devolves 
the duty of maintaining- his wife and children; on the 
wife that of making- the home comfortable and cheerful. 
The qualifications of a g-ood husband, from a Zoroastrian 
point of view, are that he must be young- and handsome, 
strong-, brave and healthy, dilig-ent and industrious so 
as to maintain his wife and children, truthful, as he 
would prove true to herself and true to all others with 
whom he would come in contact, and wise and educated. 
A wise and intellig-ent and educated husband is com- 
pared to a fertile piece of land which g-ives a plentiful 
crop, whatever kinds of seed are sown in it. The quali- 
fications of a g-ood wife are that she be wise and edu- 
cated, modest and courteous, obedient and chaste. 
Obedience to her husband is the first duty of a Zoroas- 
trian wife. Marriag-e is an institution which is g-reatly 
encourag-ed by the spirit of the Parsee relig-ion. It is 
especially recommended in the Parsee scriptures on the 
ground that a married life is more likely to be happy 
than an unmarried one, that a married person is more 
likely to be able to withstand physical and mental afflic- 
tions than an unmarried person, and that a married man 
is more likely to lead a relig-ious and virtuous life than 
an unmarried one. The following- verse in the Gatha 
conveys this meaning: "I say (these) words to you 
marrying brides and to you bridegrooms. Impress them 
in your mind. May you two enjoy the life of good mind 
by following the laws of religion. Let each one of you 
clothe the other with righteousness because then assur- 
edly there will be a happy life for you." An unmarried 
person is represented as unhappy as a fertile piece 



—184- 



of ground that is carelessly allowed to be uncultivated 
by its owner. Marriage being- thus considered a g"ood 
institution, and being recommended by the religious 
scriptures, it is deemed a very meritorious act for a 
Parsee to help his co-religionists to lead a married life. 
Several rich Parsees have with this charitable view 
founded endowment funds, from which young- and de- 
serving- brides are given small sums on the occasion of 
their marriage for the preliminary expenses of starting- 
in married life. Fifteen is the minimum marriag-eable 
ag-e spoken of by the Parsee books. The parents have 
a voice of sanction or approval in the selections of wives 
and husbands. Mutual friends of parents or marrying 
parties may bring about a good selection. 

Marriage can be contracted only with persons of their 
own creed. Polygamy is forbiden except after nine 
years of sterility, then a man is allowed to marry another 
woman. Divorces are entirely forbidden. The crimes 
of fornication and adultery are very severely punished. 
The women are delicate in frame with small hands; they 
are fine looking-, with brave beautiful black eyes and 
long hair. They appear somewhat free in public, but 
take charge of household affairs at home. 

When the case of a sick person is hopeless the priest 
advances to the bed and repeats texts from the sacred 
book called Avesta, which are to be consolation to the 
dying man. After death the body is taken to the ground 
floor where it was born and after being washed and per- 
fumed, and dressed in white, it is laid upon an iron bier. 
A dog is then brought in to take a last look and thus 
drive away all the evil spirits. Prayers are said for the 
repose of the departed soul. All the men friends go to the 
door, bow down and raise their heads after touching the 
floor, as an indication of their sorrow for the departed. 
The body, when put upon the bier, is covered from head 
to foot, and two men bring it out of the house and give 



-18= 



it to four pall-bearers who are dressed in clean white 
cloths. As they pass with the body all who are present 
bow to it out of respect. The men friends form a pro- 
cession with the priests to the Dak-ha-na or " Tower of 
Silence." These towers are constructed of stone twenty- 
five feet hig-h, without any entrance except by a 
ladder to the top. The tower is unroofed. Upon ar- 
riving- at the tower prayers are said in the prayer house 
which contains a fire sanctuary. After this the body is 
placed on a special layer of mortar, where it is exposed. 
Soon the flesh disappears, being- devoured by birds 
while the skeleton remains. After a certain length of 
time the bones are removed to a place prepared for keep- 
ing- them from being- exposed to the birds, rain and air. 
This work must be done in fine clear weather, in case of 
bad weather the body must be kept until the weather is 
clear, for which purpose places are provided. When the 
body is exposed to the birds, etc., there are sig-ns which 
tell the character of the dead man. If the birds touch 
the rig-ht eye first he was a g-ood man, and if they touch 
the left eye first then he was a bad man. 

Again, on the death of their dear ones, the rich and 
the poor all pay various sums, according- to their means, 
in charity. These sums are announced on the occasion 
of the Oothumna or the ceremony on the third day after 
death. The rich pay large sums on these occasions to 
commemorate the names of their dear ones. 

A child of the Parsees must be born upon the g-round 
floor of the house. That is a requirement of their re- 
lig-ion, that its life be commenced in humility and by 
g-ood thoug-hts, words and actions. The mother is not 
to be seen by any one for forty days. After that she 
washes herself with holy water which has been sancti- 
fied by the priest. A Parsee rejects pork, ham and 
camel flesh, and will not eat anything- cooked by one 
outside of the Parsee religion. 



—186- 



With the overthrow of the Persian monarchy, under 
the last Sassanian king", Yezdagard, at the battle of 
Nehavand, in A. D. 642, the relig"ion received a check at 
the hands of the Arabs, who, with sword in one hand 
and Koran in the other, made the religion of Islam both 
state relig"ion and the national religion of the country. 
But many of those who adhered to the faith of their 
fathers quitted their ancient fatherland for the hospit- 
able shores of India. Now we have in Persia only about 
25,000 Zoroastrians. The Mohammedans called them 
" g-uebres," i. e., ung-odly. Most of them live in Kerman 
Yeza, on the soil of the motherland. The men are good 
citizens, humble, honest and generous, especially to their 
own brethren, and are also industrious, intelligent, hand- 
some, clean in appearance and faithful to their religion. 

The Devil-Worshipeks. 

The Devil-worshipers dwell in the Monsul Mountains, 
where they have a church founded in honor of one Mar 
Ade, who is believed to have been one of the seventy 
chosen disciples of our Lord. Their chief object of faith 
and worship is the devil. The world, they believe, be- 
longs to him. He is "the prince of this world," and as 
such, should be honored and worshiped. They admit 
that satan is a fallen angel, but hold that in due time 
God will forgive him ; that he will become converted, 
and finally be restored to his first estate as the angelic 
head. What Christ is to the Christians, satan is to these 
people. They give alms to him and offer sacrifices in 
his name. They trust in him as the Christians trust in 
Christ, and believe that he is to be their future mediator 
and savior of the world. The rooster is regarded by this 
people as a .very sacred fowl, as he is supposed to ex- 
actly represent the form of his satanic majesty. In the 
temple, they keep a golden image of a rooster, which 
they worship. The priests are an uneducated class of 

-187- 



people, not even able to read. They have one book 
which is called Eljilweh — that means revelation, — but 
they claim it is a mystery ; that no one will be able to 
understand it until the devil is converted. Their priestly 
y office consists in taking* care of the rooster. This golden 
image, however, is not kept constantly in one place. 
Some society will offer a certain sum of money for the 
privilege of keeping it with them for a stated time. 
After a society has secured the image, it is wrapped in 
a silk napkin and placed in a very nice basket, overlaid 
with gold, and thus is carried through the different vil- 
lages, always accompanied by one priest, no other per- 
son being allowed to touch it. We will suppose that 
they arrive at some village. Immediately the image is 
set upon some high place, the people come together, bow 
their heads and worship, while the priest bestows bless- 
ings upon them. After this, a napkin is spread at the 
feet of the image, and upon this the people place their 
gifts. Much money is collected in this way. A peculiar 
superstition exists among them. The ground is regarded 
as most sacred, for it is believed to be the devil's face, 
and spitting on the ground is regarded as so great a 
crime that the penalty is death. They are also very 
careful not to speak satan's name. They call him Melik 
Taoos. Any missionary is welcomed to their temple, 
and the people will turn out in large numbers to hear 
him ; but if one single word is uttered beginning with 
" S," the people will rise up and go out one by one, leav- 
ing the missionary alone. They will not pour hot water 
on the ground for fear of scalding the little devils. 

The social customs of these people are peculiar to 
themselves. Men and women have more freedom of 
association in their greet feasts, women are permitted 
to dance and sing with men. The law allows every man 
to marry not more than six wives ; the girl has no free- 
dom to choose her husband. She is virtually sold by the 



-188— 



parents like cattle or land. If an^^ g-irl does not prefer 
to get married she can remain sing-le at her father's 
home bj paying- him a sum of money which she must 
earn by hard labor. The marriag^e ceremonies are sim- 
ple, but accompanied with great feasting-. The climax 
of the wedding- is reached as soon as the bride and g-room 
have eaten a loaf of bread made at the home of the 
Sheikh and broug"ht to them by him. Liquor is freely 
used by both men and women at the wedding- feast. It 
is customary, when the g-room meets his bride, first to 
throw at her a stone, and she has to bow her head to 
him, a sig-n of absolute subjection to his authority. 
Then he will take a cake of bread and put it over her 
head, as a sig-n of her being- a merciful woman to the 
poor and afflicted. It is not leg-al to consummate mar- 
riag-e during- the month of April, that month being- con- 
sidered by them a holy month, nor on any Wednesday or 
Friday throug-h the year. Women are treated almost 
like animals, without any rig-hts or respect ; their idea 
of immortality is very deg-rading-. They believe in the 
transmig-ration of souls. Altog-ether, they represent a 
ver}^ dark picture. No mission work has ever been 
attempted among- them. 

Circumcision is a relig-ious rite but is not rig-idly en- 
forced. Once in every forty or fifty years a priest visits 
the people and circumcises all that are willing-. The 
majorit}^ however, are not circumcised. They bury 
their dead iii a sitting- posture facing- the temple of their 
g-od. They offer yearly sacrifices for their dead. Only 
one house or family in a community is allowed to be ed- 
ucated, as it is reg-arded as a sin for every one to have 
an education. They have no books, but the history of 
the church is preserved by oral transmission from father 
to son. They love their relig-ion and are truly devoted 
and loyal to it. As a people they are very merciful and 
are faithful in fulfilling- all their promises. They 

—IS') - 



borrow and loan money but never take interest. To do 
this, or even take a pledg-e or security for a loan is con- 
sidered a g-reat sin. They consider all nations their 
enemies except the Syrians. These they regard as 
brothers. The Kurdish people are their g-reatest ene- 
mies and from these they steal and do not hesitate to kill 
them. They show no mercy but are cruel and blood- 
thirsty. These people believe in Christ, but will swear 
and blaspheme His name. Many of their children are 
named after Bible characters, such as Isaac, Jacob, Peter 
and Paul. In 1842 when the Kurds attacked and killed 
a g-reat many of them they found in their houses a g-reat 
number of Bibles. In 1883 the British Consul visited 
Mar Ade, their temple, and their found a g-olden cross. 
There is very g-ood evidence to show that many years 
ag-o the Christians founded a mission or church at this 
place, and that these people, althoug-h so deg-enerated, 
are the descendants of these early disciples. 

Nkstoeius. 

Nestorious was born near the close of the fourth cen- 
tury at Ger-ma-ni-cia, and was a disciple of Theodore 
of Neoponestra. He became a Presbyter of Antioch 
and was made Patriarch of Constantinople in 428. He 
was disting-uished for his fluency of speech and his zeal 
ag-ainst prevailing- heresies, especially those of the 
Appollinarians. In his opposition to their doctrine 
Nestorious maintained that there was a g-reat distinction 
between Christ as the Son of Man and Christ as the Son 
of God; that the actions and sensations of the one person 
were very different from those of the other; that the 
Virg-in Mary could not be called the mother of God, but 
only the mother of Christ, because it was only the 
human part of Christ that was born of her, as God is 
not limited to space, time, location, birth or death. So 
Nestorius strictly rejected the appellation "Mother of 

—190— 



God" as heathenisli and contrary to Hebrew, 7: 3, rest- 
ing- as he did on the orthodox doctrine of the eternal 
generation of the Son; certainly he could easily say, "A 
mortal has not given birth to Him, who is not to be cre- 
ated, for in the beginning was the Word;" (as John 
says); but Nestorious by no means refused to worship 
the human nature of Christ. He was supported by the 
eastern bishops in general and by John, bishop at Anti- 
och, in particular, and in the progress of the contro- 
versy Nestorius declared himself willing even to adopt 
the term "Mother of God" if properly explained. Since 
he was a learned man in literature and an orator of 
power, C3^ril, Patriarch of Alexandria, was jealous of 
him, he himself desiring to become Patriarch of Con- 
stantinople. He attacked the teachings of Nestorious, 
claiming that he taught that there are in Christ two 
distinct persons and two natures, and that he denied the 
divinity of Christ in refusing to call the Virgin Mary 
the "Mother of God." This criticism of Nestorius' 
teachings is without foundation, as he did not teach 
anything of the kind. However, many writers have 
made this mistake in criticism against the teachings of 
Nestorius, but we must not forget all the literature in 
Greek or Latin which his scholars as well as his ene- 
mies produced. There are now in the possession of 
prominent Nestorians manuscripts of Nestorius and his 
teachings from the seventh century on, and in none of them 
is that doctrine held. However, his opinions were vig- 
orously combatted by Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, who, 
by the advice of Pope Celestine, called a council to 
Alexandria in 430 to determine the controversy. By 
this council Nestorius was judged guilty of blasphem}^ 
and was anathematized, and Nestorius in turn charged 
Cyril with confounding the two natures of Christ and 
anathematized him. 

Cyril, being jealous of the Constantinopolitan 



-191- 



bishopric and its great bishop, Nestorius, induced the 
emperor, Theodosius II, to call a council at Kphesus in 
431, at which Cyril presided. As the bishop of Antioch 
and others from the east had not come as yet, Nestorius 
refused to appear before the council, as he knew those 
who were absent were friendly and in harmony with 
him and his views. But the council ag-ain decided 
ag"ainst him. Immediately after being- deprived of his 
of&ce, Nestorius withdrew into private life within the 
monastery of Kuprepius, Antioch, until 438, when the 
emperor ordered his banishment to Petra, Arabia. Later, 
he was sent to the oasis of Lybia, in upper Kg'ypt. He 
was still living- when Socrates wrote his church history. 
The time and place, and circumstances of his death are 
unknown. 

Introuduction of Christianity among thk Syrians 

OR Nkstorians. 

The origin of the Peshuto Bible (a very early Syrian 
version) is explained by the following- tradition: During- 
the life of Jesus on earth, Abg-ar, king- of Bdessa, 
sent to Jesus a letter inviting- him to his city, to escape 
the persecutions of the Jews, to heal him and to bless 
his people. Jesus replied that he must remain in Judea, 
to finish his work, but would after His death and ascen- 
sion send a disciple, who should heal and teach him. 
This disciple, being- in after years sent and kindly re- 
ceived. The Gospel of Matthew was written in Syriac, 
and in the course of the second century the rest of the 
New Testament, save the Second and Third Epistles of 
John, the Second Kpistle of Peter, the Kpistles of Jude 
and James, and the Revelations of Jesust Christ to 
John. These having- not yet been accepted in Canaan as 
canonical parts of the New Testament, they were trans- 
lated into what is known as the Peshuto version (it is 
called Peshuto on account of its simplicity) . This version, 

-192- 



on account of its ag-e, is often cited as hig-h authority 
upon disputed points. 

The Syrian Church was founded in the time when 
the disciples were scattered by reason of the persecu- 
tions, A. D. 44-87, (See Acts 11-19). and by the exer- 
tions of the Apostle Paul (Gal. 1-21), g"rew to be one of 
the most flourishing-, and is often mentioned (Acts 13: 1, 
15:23, 35:41). 

The Syrian Christians were called Martumans from 
the name Martuma, a missionary from Jerusalem, said 
to have been one of the Disciples of Christ also " Naza- 
rus," i. e. Nazarene, which name of contempt is in use 
to-day. Later they were called Nestorians from Nes- 
torius, a Syrian Bishop of Constantinople. (See Nos- 
torius). The}^ were a well org-anized church, very 
methodical in matters of g-overnment. Their member- 
ship was g-rouped by sevens, forty-nine families under 
one minister, seven ministers under one Bishop, and 
seven Bishops under one Metropolitan, all the Metro- 
politans under one Patriarch. In each year one g^eneral 
synod was held. The character of this church was 
shown b}^ their building- seminaries and coUeg-es. Some 
of the most important of these were at Nesibia, Od- 
dessa, Urihai, (this was called the queen of the schools), 
at Antioch and Koochanis. These schools, while they 
flourished, were the secret of the church's streng-th. 
The instructors were the most learned men of their ag-e. 
Airvaz and St. Basil of Nesibia and Urhai were among- 
the most learned teachers. The Assyrian, Arabic and 
Greek lang-uag-es were taug-ht classically. Medicine, 
astronomy and mathematics, including- g-eometr}^ were 
taug-ht. Special attention was g-iven to the study of 
theolog-y. There were as many as 2,000 monks and 
students in some of these institutions. There doctors 
of medicine were g-iven hig-h positions under the Arabian 
and Persian g-overnments. Literature in the Eastern 



lang-uages was rich. Prom these schools came great 
church fathers, who defended the church from the here- 
tics of the ag-e. The students were prepared for study 
by some saintly hermit in his cave, they having- taken a 
monastrial vow similar to that of a Nazarete. Next 
came five years' study in the schools, and that they 
studied well, is shown by the fact that these men wrote 
more than 600 commentaries on the Scriptures. Before 
leaving- school each student was expected to make a 
complete copy of the New Testament, to be left as his 
gift to the common library. There are to-day in Europe 
many manuscripts written by these scholars, that are 
from 300 to 1,200 years old. The New Testament was 
translated into many dialects by the scholars. These 
manuscripts are skillfully executed and show the beauty 
and antiquity of this church. Only a few of these anci- 
ent manuscripts are now to be found in Persia and the 
mountains of Kurdistan, but there are many of them 
scattered among- the libraries of Kurope. In these days 
of printing- and typewriting-, people have little idea how 
laborious and beautiful this work was. The earnestness 
of this church was also shown by the sending- of mis- 
sionaries. Their great work in missions was from the 
sixth to the thirteenth centuries. They penetrated all 
Asia and Europe, as is shown by ancient discovery. In 
China a pillar has been found bearing inscriptions in 
Chinese and in Syriac : This was written during the 
reign of Si Coom, Emperor of China, six hundred 
years after Christ. 

Several years ago a Japanese Christian was asked: 
"To what denomination do you belong?" and answered: 
"I am a Nestorian," and showed some Nestorian books 
handed down to him by his forefathers. The instruc- 
tions given to missionaries are interesting. One of the 
Bishops, Mar Ephraim (Saint) said: "Change country 
for country; but from your Master do not change. To 



-194- 



every land bring- the water of life, In every home to 
which you come think that you shall find at least one 
jewel of g-reat price for your Master's treasury and look 
carefully about, and having found it, spare no pains to 
bring- that soul to the kingdom." The great aim of this 
school was to educate the monks and to become mission- 
aries and spread the gospel. These schools were foun- 
tains from which flowed living waters for a thirsty land. 
There was no other nation, in their age, that possessed 
such a spirit of Christian vitality. Zeal for the spread 
of the Gospel was burning in their hearts as a divine 
flame. There was a class of Bishops appointed by their 
leaders to awaken and keep alive this missionary spirit. 
"The d^^ng love of Christ for sinners," was the text 
from which they preached. Also His last commission 
to his disciples. Matt. 28: 19-20. These Bishops preached 
with an inspiration from God and inflamed many hearts 
until they were ready to sacrifice their lives for Christ. 
These missionaries wore sandals on their feet, carried a 
staff of peace in their hands, and a knapsack on their 
shoulders, containing bread and manuscripts of sacred 
writings. Thus equipped, they journeyed into heathen 
lands, following the command of their Nazarene teacher. 
The church was very poor and had no board of foreign 
missions to guarantee even a small income. The mis- 
sionaries went forth trusting in their Heavenly Father. 
If He took care of the birds in the air, how much more 
would He care for the heralds of His Gospel. The week 
before departure was spent in fasting and prayer and 
consecration. On the last day they partook of commu- 
nion from the hand of their leader, and solemn advice 
was given by the bishop. In parting the bishop kissed 
the missionaries' brow and the latter kissed the bishop's 
hand and the bishop would say: "The Lord God of the 
prophets and apostles be with 3^ou; the love of Christ 
defend you; the Holy Spirit sanctify and continually 



-195-^ 



comfort you." Some of the missionaries went to distant 
lands requiring- eight to twelve months to make the 
journey on foot. They worked in China, India, Tartary, 
Persia, Beloochhistan, Afghanistan, and northern Africa. 
Success followed their work. In southern India is a 
small church planted at that time. These followers are 
now called the St. Thomas Christians. They always 
come to Mar Shumon to be ordained as bishops or 
metropolitans and g-o back with authority to ordain the 
lower of&cers. When I was with the patriarch, in 1895, 
there were two or more preparing- themselves with that 
view of being- ordained or sent among- these St. Thomas 
Christians. A special epistle had been received written 
and sig-ned by 777 prominent men of those Christians in 
India, requesting- Mar Shumon to send them a metro- 
politan (as one who had been ordained and sent a few 
years before, had died), a bishop, two priests, and an 
interpreter, vouching- for the support of these parties 
and promising- help to those who are living- in Persia 
and Turkey. But Mar Shumon could not comply with 
their request as he had no person who could fill those 
positions. But the spirit which was stirring- as the sun 
of Heaven beg-an to lang-uish in the tenth century and 
by the fourteenth century had en-tirely died, and at pres- 
ent utter ig-norance and darkness, and oppression from 
Mohammedanism and the Catholics prevails. At that 
time, some of the church's true sons, in lamentation, 
said: " How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of 
war perished!" Hundreds of their missionaries had 
become martyrs of Christ in a heroic spirit. They would 
enter fire, singing praises to God, believing their shed 
blood would be the seed of the church. 

In the year 33 after the death of Christ Mar Tuma 
St. Thomas became Patriarch of the Syrian church. He 
held the office for five years, and in this time he pre- 
pared St. Maree and also St. Kddi, two of the seventy, 

-196- 



and St. Thomas, one of the twelve sent out by our 
Lord Jesus. In 38 St. Thomas went to Hindoostan and 
St. Maree took his place. St. Maree's residence was in 
Ktispon on the Tig-ris, which was for a long- time the 
capital of the Sassanite dynasty. St. Maree expired in 
A. D. 82. After his death his disciples went to Jerusa- 
lem and chose Abriz as their patriarch. He served from 
A. D. 90 to 107. After Abriz from A. D. 130 to 132, 
Abraham, a relative of the apostle James, became their 
patriarch. His successor was James, a just man, and a 
relative of the Virg-in Mary, mother of our Lord. Akhad 
Abowoy became their patriarch from 205 to 220. During- 
this period there was a severe war between the Romans 
and Persians. The latter then ruled over Persia, 
Assyria and Babylonia. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, a 
subject of Rome, advised the Assyrians who were under 
the Parthians to elect a Patriarch who was a subject of 
the Parthians. The Parthians ruled over Persia from 
220 B. C. until 226 A. D. In all the chang-es of g-overn- 
ment the Assyrians managed to keep in office a succes- 
sion of patriarchs even to the present time. In the 
early church down to the year 1405 the Patriarch was 
chosen by a g-eneral vote of the church. Any metropol- 
itan bishop mig-ht be chosen. The office held for life. 
In the year 1405, by reason of g-reat persecutions, the 
Patriarch, Mar Shimmon, alone was left of all the met- 
ropolitans. He therefore appointed one of his own 
household to succeed him, and thenceforward down to 
the present day each Patriarch chooses his successors. 
The choice lies among- blood kindred. As a g-eneral 
thing- the elder brother is chosen, for there is a rule that 
the Patriarch must be an unmarried man. Yet in early 
days of persecution it was sometimes necessary to relax 
this rule owing^ to the impossibility of finding- in the 
church a man of sufficient ability who had never been 
married. The patriarchal city is now Koorchanis. The 

—197- 



seat of the Patriarch has been chang-ed from Ktispon to 
Bagdad, Babel, Ninevah, Mosoel and Klkosh, the town 
of the Prophet Nahum, and the chief city of learning-. 
Finally in 1778 it chang-ed to Koochanis. The present 
Patriarch, Mar Shuman, took office in 1865. He is the 
last of 108 Patriarchs of the Syrian or Kastern Church, 
whose rule once extended over all Arabia, Hindoostan, 
China and the mountains of the Caucasus. 

Marriag-e is considered as sacred as the ordination of 
the clerg-y, but less sacred than the Lord's supper. 
Therefore marriag-e is a solemn service, and the rules 
relating- to it are very strict. Neither of the contract- 
ing- parties are asked for their assent. When the par- 
ents of a son think that it is time for him to be married, 
they will enquire concerning- a young- lady among- her 
friends and neig-hbors as to her character and beauty, 
and being- satisfied in this respect they will notify her 
parents that they will call upon them. Upon doing this 
they make their errand known, and if her parents are 
willing- they will kiss the hand of her father. The next 
morning they will bring a ring and a priest with a large 
company of friends. Feasting and drinking will be in- 
dulged in, the priest will bless the ring and place it on 
the bride's finger. Promises of dowry will be made by 
the parents of the bridegroom to those of the bride, also 
to herself and to her brothers, to the priest of the parish, 
and to some of her neighbors, who will teach her needle 
work and embroidery. At the same time they will de- 
cide the matter of her dress, and leave enough money to 
purchase as many suits as are agreed upon. The term 
of the engagement will vary with the age of the bride. 
If she be very young the marriage will be delayed some 
length of time, but if old enough at the time of the en- 
gagement the marriage will be consummated at once or 
in about a month. During the time of the engagement 
neither of the parties see one another, in fact they may 

—198— 



never have met. When the time of eng-ag-ement ex- 
pires and the bride's entire outfit is ready, a feast will 
be proclaimed at both the houses of the bride and bride- 
groom. The friends of each will g-o about in the coun- 
try towns and villag-es with a drum inviting- their 
friends. They also carry a jug- of wine, and in every 
house they g-o to they will pour out a g-lass of it and sa}", 
"It is not our wedding-, but yours; therefore you are in- 
vited to come." After two days of feasting- they will 
send a deputation to the bride's house beating- drums 
and g'ong-s on their way, and having- their hands painted 
red to indicate their happiness. They will sit down to 
dine at the bride's table while she is preparing- herself 
for the journey to the house of the g-room. When the 
meal is over they will cover her face with covering-s and 
bring her out with a young- man on each side of her, 
one of the young- men carrj^ng- a purse and a silk hand- 
kerchief and running- before the procession to announce 
its coming-. When he arrives at the groom's house he 
stands on the roof together with ten or fifteen young 
men. These give the groom some wine to drink. The 
bride is on horseback and is stopped about fifty yards 
distant from the roof, where the groom is standing. 
He has three red apples in his hands, and kissing each 
one, he tries to throw them over the bride, or at her. 
When the apples strike the ground the crowd of boys 
will grapple for them, as the supposition is that the 
boy who gets an apple will be the first one to marry out 
of the crowd. The rest of the company stands in front 
of the door, making a hideous noise with their drums 
and gongs. Sometimes the young men, who are her 
friends, standing on either side of the horse, will tops 
the apple with their hands. She will dismount and be 
brought in, the friends of the young man dancing be- 
fore her. 



—199- 



The young- man is broug-ht down from the roof and 
broug-ht into the room in the same manner as the bride, 
and after the feast, the elder of the town will sit in the 
middle of two rows of guests and placing a napkin on 
the floor, invite the contributions of those present. He 
first asks for money from the bride's father, then from 
any who wish to g-ive. Very often the groom receives 
on this occasion more money than he has expended in 
g-ifts to the bride and her friends. On the next day the 
marriag-e ceremony will take place. It is performed by 
a minister, and a deacon, taken larg-ely from the Bible, 
and lasts about two hours, during which time the bride 
and groom remain standing-. The bride's dress covers 
her entire body and face from view except her forehead. 
She wears a crown and is called a queen. The g-room 
wears a hig-h plume on his crown, fastened to his hat, a 
sash around his chest and is called a king- for about two 
months. They do not work during- this time but take 
life easy. All the lady friends of the bride will each 
bring- a tray of eatables and they will have a g-rand feast. 
It is customary for all the friends to offer g-ifts of 
money, g-old or silver, in a glass of water. The bride 
drinks the water and keeps the money. Then they 
inspect the bride's trunk and see what her father has 
sent to her and show the presents to all the guests. 
The bride makes presents of needlework and embroidery, 
which she has wroug-ht with her own hands, to all the 
friends. She is kept in close confinement for six 
months, and does not g-o out except, perhaps, in the yard 
or garden. She talks to no one except it be a child. If 
it becomes necessary to converse with anyone, it must 
be through a child; she talks to no g-rown person besides 
her husband and then only when they are alone. This 
is continued for eight or ten months, and then she may 
talk with some of the young-er members of the family, 
but never with the g-room's father or mother freely. 

—200— 



Funeral Services. 
Funeral services differ, according- to the ag-e of the de- 
ceased. As soon as a man dies, word is sent to the priest 
and deacon. They come to the house of the deceased. 
The priest will consecrate some water, bathe the body; 
first the rig-ht arm, then the left, then the neck, then 
the rest of the body. All this time the mourning- rela- 
tives sing psalms. Then the body is ready to be put 
into the coffin. The priest and deacon continue sing-- 
ing-, the young-est deacon carries the censor and repeats 
a prayer until they arrive at the g-rave. Before taking- 
the corpse to the grave, the friends of the deceased 
come to bid him good-bye. At the grave the priest says 
a prayer, the body is lowered and the priest takes some 
earth and sprinkles it upon the coffin, saying: "From 
earth you came, to earth you return," after which all 
the people will do the same. While they are filling up 
the grave, the priest and the deacon continue singing. 
After this the priest makes a sign of the Trinity on the 
grave, commencing at the head (which means that 
Christ came from the Father and descended into the 
grave.) After the service, the people, being unclean 
because they have touched the body of a corpse, are 
taken to a brook and after the priest has blessed the 
water, they wash their face and hands, then they are 
cleansed. They now return to the home of the deceased 
and take two or three meals at the expense of the 
mourning relatives, while continually repeating: ' * May 
God give him rest." After three days they all visit the 
grave again and the priest again makes the sign of the 
Trinity, beginning at the foot, (which signifies the 
resurrection of Christ.) After this all the people shave 
and bathe and have a great feast to celebrate the close 
of their time of mourning. After seven days they have 
another feast and a 3^ear later they give offerings and 
celebrate the Lord's Supper. 

—201— 



Kestokian Chukchks. 
Many of their churches are built of stone, while 
others are made of brick and clay. Some of the build- 
ing's are 1300 years old and will stand many years to 
come. The walls are about eig"ht feet thick at the base, 
gradually tapering- toward the top. In the older 
churches the doors are quite low and it is necessary for 
a man to stoop to enter. It is believed by some that the 
doors were built in this way that the church niig-ht be 
used as a place of refug-e, rolling- stones in the doorway 
after entering-. Others say the object was to prevent 
horses, cattle and other animals from entering-. These 
churches are reg-arded as most sacred places and are 
called houses of God. There is an interior stairway 
leading- to the roof, which is necessary for repairing- the 
roof or shoveling- oif snow. The yard in front of a 
church is shaded with elm trees; it is used as a burial 
g-round. Extending from each corner of the roof is a 
pair of horns of a wild goat, which is a sign of sacrifice. 
There is a small room in the rear of the building which 
is called the most holy place. In this room the priests 
perform certain ceremonies, and no other people are 
allowed to enter it at any time. Before this room is a 
small pulpit on which are placed a cross, Bible and some 
ceremonial books. The only windows are a few small 
openings just below the roof. Candles are burned 
during hours of service to light the room, and incense is 
burned as a ceremonial and to produce a pleasing odor. 
There are no pictures on the walls, but there are some 
decorations in the way of finely embroidered silk drap- 
eries donated by some of the worshipers. Reading 
Scripture and prayer book and chanting Psalms are the 
main features of worship. There is no music except a 
number of small bells on the walls, which the worshipers 
ring as they enter the building. The audience sits on 
the floor or stands through the service. Assyrians 

—202— 



believe the two chief ordinances to be the Lord's supper 
and baptism. The ordaining- of priests and marriage 
are ordinances that rank next in importance. Baptism 
is administered by bishops and elders. All the children 
of a member are baptized by immersion. Some believe 
that baptism reg-enerates a child, while others say it 
will have a good effect, provided the parents g-ive the 
child proper training- thereafter. 

The Lord's Supper is administered with much ritual 
on festival days, such as Kaster, Christmas and Ascen- 
sion Day. This ceremony is more hig-hly honored than 
any other ordinance, as it commemorates the death and 
victory of Christ. Both wine and bread are used. A 
few years ago, and even now in some places, it was a 
custom to make the bread and wine from g-leanings 
brought in from the field and vineyards by virgins. 
This was considered pure and most acceptable as it had 
belong-ed to no man. They do not believe with the 
Catholics that the bread and wine are turned into the 
flesh and blood of Christ, but they put much emphasis 
on these ing-redients after the same have been conse- 
crated. They are then holy. On the night previous to 
communion da}- the priests and deacons g-o to the church 
shortly after midnig-ht, and entering- into the most holy 
place, make the bread for use on the next day. The 
priest himself kneads the doug-h. This bread is con- 
sidered more sacred than that made in the ordinary way. 
After the bread has been made the remainder of the 
night is spent in chanting- Psalms, reading the Scrip- 
tures and prayer book. An hour before sunrise the 
people flock to church. When the church is full of wor- 
shipers the priest mounts the pulpit, chants the sacred 
words for an hour or more, the audience remaining in 
perfect silence until he reaches the end of a Psalm or 
the end of the service, when all respond "Amen." The 
priest and a deacon stand in the pulpit to administer the 

-203— 



sacrament. Communicants come forward one by one, 
and the priest puts a small piece of bread in their 
mouths and the deacon g-ives the wine. Children under 
7 years of ag^e do not partake of the sacrament. On 
these occasions the priest and deacon wear long- white 
robes of silk or cotton tied about the waist with a long- 
silk g-irdle. A turban is worn on the head. 

Their faith, as described in some ancient manuscripts, 
is purely evang-elical. They believe in the trinit}^, 
God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. These three 
persons are co-equal, co-eternal, unmixed and insepar- 
able. Their clerg-y does not claim the power to forg-ive 
sins. They accept the apostle's creed and it is recited 
by the clerg-y and relig-ious men. They deny the con- 
fession, imag-e worship and doctrine of purg-atory. But 
the church has fallen into decay under the persecutions 
of Mohammedans, and they now in their ig-norance wor- 
ship souls or pray to the saints. They have adopted 
much of the Roman Catholic heresies ; many days of 
fasting- are observed, as fifty days before Kaster, twenty- 
five days before Christmas, every Friday and Wednesday 
and others. During- these fasts the old people take no 
food until noon. On these fasting days the people will 
abstain from meats or fatty foods, etc. In times of per- 
secutions their schools and books were destroyed and the 
people became ig-norant, at the same time the Catholics 
introduced among- them their literature, which chang-ed 
their prevailing- doctrines. 

Babism. 

The Mohammedan religion is today divided into about 
fifty different sects, and this division g-reatly weakens 
it. Within fifty years past a new religion has been 
developed in Persia, known by the name of Babism, 
which already numbers its disciples b}^ hundreds of 
thousands, and is steadily making inroads upon the 

—204— 



Mohammedan religion of which it is in fact an offshoot. 
It is thought b}^ some to have a large future before it. 
Christian missionaries come in contact with it, and from 
the friendliness of the so-called Babis to the Christian 
religion hopes have been cherished, that it may prove a 
stepping stone for the Gospel into Moslem hearts. For 
this reason, if no other, it deserves the attention of all 
thoughtful Christians. Mirza Ali Mohammed, the 
founder of the new religion, was the son of a cloth mer- 
chant of the city of Shiraz, and first came to public 
notice in the year 1843. He began to plan the new 
religion at the age of 18, but did not reveal it until he 
was 25 years old. The foundation of his faith was this: 
Mohammed like Christ, taught that the latter days will 
be a millennium. They have a tradition that when all 
prophets have died or have been killed by their enemies, 
a son six years of age will, by the direction of Allah, be 
hid in an unknown well. He is to remain there until 
the millennium. It was believed that he w^ould be the 
ruler of the Mohammedans in these last days. He w>as 
to lead both his victorious armies and conquer all the 
world, and Islam would become the universal religion. 
His early education was limited even for the advantages 
Persia affords, but with a strong spiritual bent in his 
nature he seems to have given himself much to religious 
meditation and study. Paying a visit to Kerbela, the 
center of theological thought among the Shiahs of 
Persia, he sat for a few months under the teaching of a 
noted and rather mystical teacher of the Mohammedan 
theology and became his enthusiastic disciple. He 
entered with special zest into the study of the doctrine 
which figures so conspicuously in Persian theology, of 
the coming "Unseen Imam" whose return as the 
"Imam Mahdi" is to introduce the Mohammedan mil- 
lennium, in regard to whom some advanced and heretical 
views were taught by the school to which his teacher 

—305— 



belong-ed. The impressions made on his mind by his 
devout contemplations on this doctrine are exhibited in 
the following- passag^es which we find translated from 
his earlier writing-s : Addressing- the absent Imam he 
says : 

When are the days of your empire, that I may strugg-le for 
you ? And when are the days of your glory, that I may obtain 
the blessing's of your visage ? And when are the days of your 
kingdom, when I may take revenge on your enemies ? And when 
are the days of your manifestation, that I may be independent of 
all except you ? And when are the days of the appearance of 
your lordship, that by your permission I may say " Be," and it 
shall become existent before you ? And when are the days 
which God has promised unto his servants for your coming? 

From his long and earnest meditations on this sub- 
ject, he seems to have become convinced that he enjoyed 
the favor of special communication with the Imam. It 
was but one step tarther to imag-ine that his axalted 
thoug-hts were veritable inspirations from the supreme 
fountain of all truth, and that he, himself, was an 
inspired prophet. Upon his return from Karbela, the 
young- enthusiast drew about him his particular friends, 
and revealed to them his inward consciousness of a 
prophetic call, announcing- himself as the "Bab," i. e., 
the door, or g-ate, meaning- the channel of g-race from 
the unseen Imam. He beg-an preaching- in the mosques 
ag-ainst the prevailing- irrelig-ion of the times, especially 
berating the Moslem clergy for their scandalous vices 
and unfitness to be spiritual guides to the people, 
emphasizing the need of a morality of deeds, rather 
than one of words and formal rules. He advocated 
temperance, opposed the growing use of opium — while 
he, himself, neither smoked tobacco nor drank liquor or 
coffee. He discountenanced polygamy, forbade concu- 
binage, asceticism and mendicancy, prohibited divorce 
and taught the equality of the sexes ; encouraged the 
practice of hospitality, and demanded justice for all 

-206— 



citizens alike. Thoug-h attacking- none of the dog-mas 
of Islam, the tendency of his opinions were undeniably 
heterodox. The new teaching-s, however, became popu- 
lar at once. Numbers of his fellow citizens assented to 
the pretensions and creed of the new claimant to pro- 
phethood with alacrity and fervor. Missionaries were 
sent out to other towns to announce the tidingfs, and 
explain the new doctrines. Adherents sprang- up every- 
where they went — men of all ranks, educated and un- 
learned alike welcoming- the g-ood news, and in turn 
becoming their earnest heralds. This g-reat popularity 
was due not merely to the attractive program of reform 
presented, but largely to the personal sanctity conceded 
to the Bab, a quality to which the Oriental mind is ever 
particularly susceptible, to the sweetness of his man- 
ners, to the eloquence of his voice and to the apparent 
depth of meaning- in his utterances, all of which exer- 
cised a spell over his hearers even his enemies admitted 
and feared. In stature, he was tall and slender, e3'es 
black, eye-brows heavy and long-, beard patriarchal. 
His countenance was very pleasant and attractive. In 
conversation with hig-h and low classes of people alike, 
he showed himself a servant of all. He was poetical, a 
g-reat orator and a deep thinker. He wrote many beau- 
tiful poems. His epistles to his disciples were philo- 
sophical. His words in sermons touched the hearts of 
men. Later on, Mirza Ali Mohammed, like a g-ood 
Moslem, made a pilg-rimage to Mecca. His return was 
sig-nalized b}^ the renewal of debates and dissensions 
between himself and his followers on the one side and 
the orthodox party on the other, which finally led to 
the arrest of the Bab by the g-overnor of his native 
province and his detention at Shiraz for a time. Subse- 
quently he was removed to Ispahan, where a friendly 
g-overnor showed him much favor. Meanwhile, his 
apostles continued more active in their proselyting- 

—207 - 



work than ever. Notable among* these were two of the 
regular Mohammedan clerg-y of g-reat learning- and 
ability, who rank in the history of this movement as 
the foremost champions of the new doctrines — Mullah 
Hussein and Haji Mohammed Ali. With these was 
associated a woman, who has obtained a celebrity 
^^ throug-hout Persia almost unparalleled in the annals of 
that land. She is admitted by friend and enemy to 
have been a woman of marvelous beauty and rare intel- 
lectual g-ifts. As a scholar, she excelled in her knowl- 
edge of the Arabic language and of Islamic traditions 
and philosophy. She was a poetess, and her eloquence 
of speech was fascinating. Her name was Zerryn Taj, 
but she is commonly known as Kurratul-Ayn, or "the 
Consolation of the eyes," with reference to^Tier surpas- 
sing lovliness of countenance. She never met the Bab 
during her lifetime, but learned of him as a spiritual 
guide and channel of the new revelation through Mul- 
lah Hussein. From her correspondence with the Bab, 
he became impressed with her rare qualities and attain- 
ments, and included her as one of the eighteen digni- 
taries of the first Babi Hierarchy. In the campaign 
that was pushed by the devotees of the Bab, the per- 
suasive eloquence of this peerless young Persian woman 
is credited as second to that of no other. 

By degrees the new sectarians became more and 
more bold, more and more sanguine of revolutionizing 
the ancient faith of the land. In all the principal cities 
of central and southern Persia, some in every class in 
society, publicly or privately, hailed the reform move- 
ment as a welcome change in the old order of things. 
The orthodox clergy became alarmed as they saw their 
religious supremacy in danger of dissolution, while the 
turmoils and insurrections which followed from the 
Babi preachers, opened the eyes of the government to 
serious danger to state as well as church. In the 




OS 

o 

fa 

fa 
o 

B 
m 
W 

I— I 



z 
o 



provinces of Khorassan and Mazanderan and in the city 
of Zenyan, the Babis, assumed a fierce and defiant front 
coming- into violent collision with the local authorities. 
The king-'s ministers, as the first steps toward checking- 
the rising- tide of revolution, ordered the Bab to be 
removed from Ispahan to Tabriz and there secluded in 
some safe place. This was in the year 1847, only four 
years since the youthful Ali Mohammed first announced 
his prophetic mission. On arriving- at Tabriz he was 
despatched by order of the g-overnor to the fortress of 
Maku, held by a semi-independent chieftain, situated at 
the base of Mt. Ararat, three or four days to the north- 
west of Tabriz ; but his confinement there was not so 
close as to prevent the access of his friends and an active 
correspondence with distant and industrious lieutenants. 
To interrupt this freedom of communication, he was 
removed to the fortress of Cherick near Salmas, two 
days from Oroomiah. The quiet of his retirement here 
lasting- two 3^ears and a half, was favorable to medita- 
tion and study and he busied himself in practices of 
devotion and in the developement of his theolog-ical 
opinions and his code of civil and social reg-ulations. 
Gradually he assumed hig-her and hig-her position and 
authority, until he announced himself to be the " Iman 
Mahdi," himself. During- this interval the relig-ious 
war kindled by the Bab's energ-etic followers in Mazan- 
deran and Zenyan grew into a blaze, which taxed all 
the energ-ies of the local g-overnments to exting-uish. 
Meanwhile, Mohammed Shah died (September 5, 1848) 
and was succeeded by his son, Nasreddin, the late 
sovereig-n of Persia, who selected as his prime minister 
the very able statesman Mirza Taki Khan. Immedi- 
atel}^ upon coming- into power, this minister addressed 
himself vig-orously to quelling- the Babi disturbances in 
different districts and towns. That in the town of 
Zenyan, where the Bab's friends were very numerous 

—200— N 



and resolute, was only put down after a prolong-ed sieg-e, 
lasting- from May to September, 1850. While the con- 
test drag-ged on, the government determined on the 
death of the Bab, as absolutely necessary to the paci- 
fication of the kingdom. On his way from the castle of 
his imprisonment to Tabriz for trial and execution he 
passed through Oroomiah. We are told that vast num- 
bers flocked to see him, and even the g-overnor did not 
conceal his sympathy with the prisoner of such engag-- 
ing- manners; the crowd shed tears as they looked upon 
the interesting young man, and more than half believed 
that he might be the very "Imam Mahdi," the g-reat 
desire of Moslem nations. Traditions, about the town, 
relate that when he went to the bath the people carried 
away the water in vessels, in which he had bathed as if 
it were holy. But at Tabriz, Persian of&cialdom and 
the sternly orthodox populace of that city, did not so 
lose their heads. The man was examined before the 
Moslem high priests and was condemned, as a heretic, to 
be shot, along- with two of his companions in arrest. 
One of these, however, recanted and saved his life. The 
Bab was conducted from one priest's house to another in 
succession, each in turn ratifying- the sentence of death, 
while in the crowded streets throug-h which he passed, 
throng-s of zealous fanatics grossly insulted him and his 
companion. Arriving at the place of execution, a public 
square in the city, the prisoners were suspended by their 
arms against a wall, in conspicuous public view and a 
company of soldiers were drawn up to shoot them. 

At the first discharg-e the Bab's companion fell dead, 
but strang-e to say, the bullets only cut the cords which 
bound the Bab himself, leaving- him fall to the g-round, 
free, and he took to flight. It is thoroughly conceiv- 
able, indeed it is altogether probable, from a Persian 
point of view, that had the man risen and thrown him- 
self upon the confidence of the superstitious populace, 



-210- 



declaring" his delivery a miracle of divine power in his 
favor, and a confirmation of his claims, the whole town 
would have acclaimed his pretensions and sooner or later 
the country itself would have acknowledg-ed his authority 
to overthrow the Kajar dynasty. As it was, in his be- 
wilderment, he fled to a neighboring- g-uard house where 
he was cut down and beaten to death b}' Mussulman 
soldiery. This occurred July 15, 1850. The execution 
of the Bab in no wise discourag-ed the faith and zeal of 
his disciples ; on the other hand, it exasperated them 
against the government and inflamed them to desperate 
efforts for its overturn. By the vig-orous efforts of the 
military power the several insurrections in the country 
were broug-ht to an end. But the spirit of veng-eance 
for the death of their prophet was everywhere rife 
among- the sect and soon came to a head in the conspir- 
acy ag-ainst the life of the Shah. He was attacked 
while riding out with his suite one day by three Babis. 
The attempt was a failure the king- escaping- with only 
a slight wound, but the recoil of the blow on the Babis 
was terrible. One of the assailants was killed on the 
spot, the other two were tortured with fiendish cruelty 
to induce them to reveal their fellow conspirators, but 
without avail. Some thirty residents of the capitol 
were suspected of being- Babis, were seized and after a 
month's deliberation on the part of the Shah and his 
court, they were put to death in a variety of methods 
the most cruel and barbarous, larg-e numbers of the 
nobility, the ecclesiastics and other citizens of Teheran 
being forced to aid in their execution in evidence of 
their lo3^alt3^ to the Shah. Among the victims was the 
gifted woman Kurra'1-Ayn, who for some months had 
been under arrest and surveilance in the city. All the 
victims met their death with stoical, almost superhu- 
man fortitude, refusing- the pardon offered them if they 
would but recant. Some even in the midst of their 



-211- 



prolong-ed suffering's sang- or shouted song-s of triumph 
The French writer Renau speaks of this massacre, 
as a day "without parallel" perhaps in the history of 
the world. It should be borne in mind that some of 
these unfortunates had never seen the man whom they 
called master, yet thus rapturously did they offer up 
their lives as a testimony of their faith in him. This 
ferocit}^ of veng-eance checked, thoug-h it did not by any 
means extripate Babism. While it put an end to the 
revolutionary tendencies of its more restless spirits 
secret partisanship continued to keep alive the heresy. 
Two brothers who stood foremost among the sect, 
one of whom had been nominated by the Bab as his suc- 
cessor, found it safe to escape over into Turkey and 
made their residence for some years in Bag-dad. Here 
their abodes became centers of rival missionaries efforts, 
from which the Persian rulers took alarm, and at their 
earnest request the Osmanli g-overnment ordered their 
removal to European Turkey; and finally one of them, 
Mirza Yahya, was sent to the island of Cyprus, where 
he still lives; the other, Mirza Husein AH, was removed 
to Acre, a Turkish strong-hold on the Mediterranean 
coast. 

According- to the Bab no divine revelation is final. 
His was the latest, but not the last manifestation of the 
deity in human form. There are numerous passages in 
his writing-s which intimate that he is but the forerunner 
of One to come. The expression frequently occurs, "He 
whom God shall manifest." His followers have never 
been agreed as to the exact meaning of this phrase. 
The prisoner at Acre came to interpret it as referring 
primarily to himself, and boldly claimed that he was 
the one predicted, setting aside the Bab's nomination of 
his brother to the headship. The larger portion of the 
Babis have come to acknowledge his claims, yielding to 
him divine homage. He assumed the name of Beha, 

—212— 



i. e., Ivig-lit. Often he is designated as "Beha 'Ullah,'^ 
or "Ivig-ht of God," and his followers are known as 
Behais as well as Babis. The younger brother is com- 
monly known as Subhi-Ezel, i. e., "Light of Eternity," 
and his disciples are called Sub-i-Kzelis. Though the 
Beba proclaimed himself to be the divine being incar- 
nate, he made no pretense of working miracles, but like 
the Arabian prophet and like the Bab, he offered as 
proof of his claims simply and alone the superlative ex- 
cellence of his compositions. Up to the time of his re- 
cent death he resided in no small degree of comfort at 
Acre in a mansion encompassed by orange groves fur- 
nished him by the Turkish government, numerous Persian 
attendants surrounding the place carefully guarding all 
approach of strangers to their revered master, keeping 
up an air of impressive awe as was supposed to befit the 
abode of so exalted a personage. In his writings more 
is made of himself and his own teachings than of the 
Bab and his prescriptions. Among other products of 
his pen are noticeable several letters addressed to sover- 
eigns of Europe and Asia and to the President of the 
United States, in which he appeals, as by divine au- 
thority, for the cessation of wars, for international 
comity and good feeling, for the prevalence of justice 
and righteousness, and for the recognition of his claims 
as the present representative of God on earth. Since 
his death it is not known what position is taken by his 
followers with respect to a successor, but up to the 
present time the Behais have been gaining converts 
widely throughout Persia. He taught that every age 
must have its own prophet inspired from God. He 
claimed that he was inspired and that he had frequent 
communications from God telling him how to direct the 
people. He openly claimed to be the Imam, and he 
taught that the priesthood and the religion were corrupt 
and that he was appointed to renew them. He did not 



—213— 



oppose the Koran, but at ttie same time said that every 
ag-e needs a new Bible. He claimed to have received a 
Bible from God. 

This book is called Bayon, meaning- exposition. He 
taug-ht the equality of both sexes and paid homage to 
woman. He showed that it was ag"ainst the law of God 
to marry more than one woman or to keep concubines. 
Further, it is ag-ainst the law of society and the happi- 
ness of women for man to have more than one wife. The 
law of divorce, which is common among" Mohammed- 
ans, was not practiced by the new sect. The place of 
women among- them is the same as among- Christians. 
The prophet taug-ht that the spirit of charity oug-ht to 
be as a flame of fire in the hearts of his followers. He 
said we cannot please God if we see our brother in need 
and do not help him; if we pray He will not hear us, if 
we worship Him He will turn his face away from us. 
Believing- this, the spirit of charity is very strong- among- 
them and they support the needy. The use of wine and 
all intoxicants is strictly forbidden. They are very kind 
to people of other faiths who are not Mohammedans, 
them, they hate. The Babis charg-e the Christians with 
Jewish blindness in not recog-nizing- their prophet as the 
returning^ Christ, with a new Gospel. But no true 
Christian can study the principles of Babism without a 
painful conviction of its entire unworthiness to be called 
a Gospel in anv sense. It is a system of crude, mystical 
ideas, barren of all spiritual value to humanity. Relig"- 
ion is made by it to consist chiefly in the worship of God 
as manifested in the assumed incarnations. Nothing-, 
scarcely, is taug-ht of the Divine Holiness, nor of sin, 
nor of repentance; nothing- of Divine love, nor of a 
Savior, nor of holy living-. The principles of morality 
inculcated are indeed somewhat hig-her than those cur- 
rent among- the Moslems and emphasis is laid on sin- 
cerity, as all essential in relig-ion, a quality conspicu- 

—214— 



ously absent with the Shiahs, but in fact the followers 
of the Beha pay slig-ht heed to these nobler teachings 
while they seize eagerly upon the freedom granted them 
from the exactions of Mohammedan law. They neither 
fast nor pray except, possibly, the latter over the dead; 
they are addicted to wine drinking, even to excess. As 
to the doctrine of the equality of men and women which 
the Bab enjoined, it is but partially maintained in prac- 
tice, and the same may be said in respect to other of his 
teachings intended to elevate the position of woman. 
Indeed, what valuable fruit could we expect from a 
religious system which argues against creation and the 
resurrection, which has no adequate conception of the 
nature of sin, presents no higher motive to goodness 
than the extinction and final absorption of the human 
soul into the Divine Being, and holds up no fear of 
punishment nor serious loss to transgressors of the moral 
law. It is indeed amazing, that men are so ready to 
devote themselves to death, at the hands of their enemies, 
for a system of religious beliefs so empty of all practical 
benefit. The enmity between them and the orthodox 
Mohammedans has been very severe. From the killing 
of Bab until the present time, they have been trying to 
kill the Shah. In their first attempt they failed, but 
May 1, 1896, while the Shah was worshiping in the most 
holy place of the mosque, he became the victim of a 
fanatic Babi who had disguised himself as a woman. 
This Babi, while under disguise, shot the king, who 
died two minutes afterwards. Some thought the gov- 
ernment would again persecute them, but there were 
some hindrances which would not permit this. In the 
first place their religion is kept a secret; it is impossible 
to know who belongs to the new sect. Secondly, 
many of the high classes and royal officers belong to this 
sect, and for this reason it would be impossible to per- 
secute them. Thirdly, their number today would reach 



-215— 



2,000,000, or about that, and to kill this enormo 
company would certainly damag-e the g"overnment. 

Their antag-onism ag-ainst the g^overnment, ai 
ag"ainst orthodox Mohammedism, is caused entirely 1: 
the lack of freedom of religious worship. We cannc 
reg"ard it other than wild fanaticism ; and the worst c 
it is, that it is fanatacism which has instigated some c 
its followers to the assassination of its adversaries, gi\ 
ing- color to the prediction of many that, if the Babi 
should ever attain to a position of political power, the] 
would prove the most intolerant and vengeful of al 
sects. Our sympathies can but go out to them, for the 
terrible sufferings which they have undergone in behali 
of what they hold to be the truth, and above all their 
pitiful blindness and folly. The chief virtue to be laid 
to their credit is their mutual devotion and fraternal 
affection. This, and the religious liberty they practice, 
are the chief ties that bind them together as a sect, and 
in these, doubtless, lies the secret of their constant 
growth. They are very warm friends of the Christians, 
placing in them the greatest confidence ; sometimes 
they will even lodge in the houses of Christians, and 
eat with them without questioning. This a strict 
Mohommedan would never do. They readily allow the 
Christian to preach to them and to discuss religion with 
them. Yet it is not an easy matter to convert them, 
for one must know their manner of life and religious 
doctrines too successfully meet their arguments. A few, 
however, have been truly converted. This filled the 
Mohammedans with hatred, both against the Christians 
and the converts. When the Christian shows the supe- 
riority of Christ, and of His doctrine, over that of their 
Prophet Bab, they are forced into silence. They are 
now securing many converts from Mohammedism, and 
it is believed that the time will come when reilgious 
toleration will be obtained by them. This will also give 

—216- 



the Christians a g-ood opportunity of preaching- the 
Gospel. It is a matter of some hopefulness to the 
Christian that these people listen to the Gospel with 
the g-reatest readiness, and consequently by reading- 
with them it seems possible to lead them to see the 
errors into which they have fallen. There is greater 
encourag-ement to missionary effort in the fact that 
these people are everywhere undermining or relaxing- 
the orthodox Moslem belief, and so are opening- the 
doors of conscience and faith among- the Mohammedans 
to the saving- truths of the Gospel of the Crucified Son 
of God. 

Conclusion. 

The title of our work dedicated to the furtherance of 
the Gospel in Persia is "Darkness and Da3^break." Paul 
speaks of the nig-ht being- far spent, and the day is at hand, 
with those who are deeply interested in the concerns of 
the Gospel and the lig"ht, it reveals with respect to the 
King-dom of God and the g'lory manifested in Jesus 
Christ. There is anxiet}^ to be instrumental in casting- 
off the works of darkness which is blinding- many, 
throug-h the prince of darkness, whether in the form of 
a formal relig-ion or open idolatry, deluding- the simple 
into the fatal errors which, unless by the the conse- 
crated efforts of Christ and his Church, must perish for 
lack of knowledge. With this hope in view, I make an 
appeal to you all, God willing, to lend me your prayers 
and assisting heart and hand to carry on the work now 
begun in Persia. Have we not need, every one of us 
who profers the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to put 
on the armor of ligJit, to be clothed in this armor 
and go forth in the field that God has in his kind and 
loving providence opened for us. 



—217— 



^^c^-i^^V^i^ W^^..^L^YJ.-:^lc:^, c=r>:;^s>S_^>CxS\^ V=^ 

Letter received from my brother Joseph while in prison at Dixxa, Gavar, 
Turkey, stating- that my message had reached him, and British and Ameri- 
can ambassadors had been informed and every effort was being- made to 
secure m}'^ release, etc. 



—218- 




Telegram of English missionary sent to British Consul at Van, Turkej', 

requesting- his aidior the release of Isaac Adams, 

sent June. 1895. 



— 21<)- 



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Ordination Diploma, from Mar Knanishu, a Nestorian Metropolitan, convej'^- 
ing the privilege to preach and teach among Nestorians and be kindly and respect- 
fully received by them. 

—220— 



Beloved in the Lokd: 

For the purpose of more effectively propag-ating- the 
mission in Persia, already begun by means of establish- 
ing- a number of Christian schools, distributing- Bibles 
and other Christian relig-ious literature, etc., we are in 
sore need of a printing- press of moderate capacity. It 
would by this be broug-ht within our reach to furnish a 
sufficient quantity of Bibles, whole or in part, cate- 
chisms, tracts, etc., to cover all parts of Persia, Kurdis- 
tan and the Caucausus, which could scarcely ever be 
made possible so long- as such books, etc., must be 
boug-ht from dealers. My brother, Abraham Adams, 
having- spent some time in this country for the particu- 
lar purpose of learning- the printers' trade, has now re- 
turned to Persia ready to take this branch of our mis- 
sion work. Allow me, therefore, to present to you an 
appeal in behalf of our work, and most especially this 
part of it, the purchase of a small printing- press. 

Considering- this appeal, look not at yourself, and your 
wants and needs, but at Christ, with all His riches and 
wealth. He has made many promises which he can 
and will fulfill. Of course, he can and will help our 
work along-, in spite of any or many persons' ill will, as 
it has been beg-un and is propag-ated in His name ; but 
is it not a dear privilege of yours, who call yourself 
after his name, to be permitted to aid in maintaining 
and furthering it ? Christ wants the Gospel spread and 
His kingdom extended on earth by Christians, for to 
His disciples He has given the command to go and teach 
all nations. And do you not remember that your dear 
Lord and Master has promised a reward for all that you 
do in His name, even to handing a draught of cold 



-221- 



water to the thirsty? What a blessed sensation it will 
create in every g-iver to read or to learn that the mission 
in Persia is progressing- nnely, and that it had been 
brought about to a great extent by the g-ifts of those 
Christians, who made it possible to buy a printing 
press, by means of which the Gospel was made to pene- 
trate places heretofore considered unpenetrable. 

But you are too poor to g-ive anything ? It is often 
the case, that dear Christians refrain from g-iving- for a 
certain purpose because they think they cannot g-ive 
enoug-h. This is a sad mistake. 

The mite you give helps the cause along and is in the 
eyes of the Lord, who can easily make much out of lit- 
tle, a means perhaps, to do great good, which, should 
you but be able to perceive it, would astonish you to the 
utmost. But you cannot give anything? Yet you can 
aid our work if you will. You are a Christian? If so, 
you cannot help to pray. When you pray, think of the 
poor Mohammedans, Kurds, Devil- Worshipers and Fire- 
Worshipers in Persia; think of the poor Nestorians, who 
consider themselves Christians and yet do not know their 
Lord and Savior Jesus. This sad affair lay before Him 
in your prayer and ask Him, fervently, to help the mis- 
sion in Persia along. When you say amen, He also will 
say, amen, yea, so shall it be. I thus leave this appeal 
to your prayerful coasideration, trusting that you will 
not shrink from doing something for this cause. 

Gifts towards the purchasing of a printing press or 
towards the benefit of the Persian mission in general, 
please send to 

ISAAC ADAMS, 

Oroomiah, Persia, 

via Berlin and Odessa, 
Or No. 124 Lagrave St , 

Grand Rapids, Mich. U. S. A. 



—222- 



The following- are a few of the many testimonials I 
have covering- a period from June 11, 1890, to April 8, 

1898 : 

Mr. Adams spoke to a large and deeply interested cong-re- 
g-ation at the First Reformed Church, on Sunday, March 4, 1894. 

Mr. Adams gives an impression of sincere and devoted zeal 
to spread the knowledge of the Redeemer among his unfortunate 
fellow-countrymen in Persia, and, therefore, we take just pleas- 
ure in recommending him as in every way worthy of sympathy 
and respect. W. H. WIIylvIAMSON, Pastor, 

Grand Rapids, Mich. 

This is to certify that the Rev. Isaac Adams, of Persia, spoke 
to my people on the evening of Thursday, September 20, 1894^ 
and that we all were much edified by his words, and wished many 
more had heard him. He is a native of Persia, who has been in 
this country some three years, more or less, preparing himself to 
preach the Gospel to his countrymen. He took a course in Mr. 
Moody's Training School, at Chicago, and sent home to bring his 
three brothers to this country, that they too might receive a 
Christian education. Before Mr. Adams' coming to us I received 
high recommendations of him, as a sincere Christian, from sev- 
eral of the western brethren, among whom were Revs. Winter, of 
Grand Rapids, Birchby, of Holland, De Bruyn, of Grand Haven, 
and Ihrman, of Marion. Through an oversight those letters 
were lost, but all of them expressed unqualified confidence in 
Brother Adams as a true Christian and able speaker. 

We learned in a few hours to regard him very highly in love 
for his work's sake, and our church will always be open to wel- 
come him. He is not working under any of our boards, but all 
who have met him concur in the impression that he is one of the 
Master's workers, whose Christian fellowship it is a privilege to 
possess. JOHN G. GEBHARD, 

Pastor Reformed Church, Herkimer, N. Y. 

Mr. Adams, a native of Persia, who has been five years in 
this country and soon goes back to labor among his own people, 
spoke last evening to our people and greatly interested them. 
They gladly gave him their sympathy and substantial assistance. 

Mr. Adams came with abundant testimonials, and I gladly 
add my own expression of confidence and personal interests. He 
speaks English as well as need be. 

EDWARD G. SBlvDEN, D. D., 
Pastor Madison Ave. Reformed Church, Albany, N. Y. 



I take pleasure in saying- Mr. Isaac Adams g-ave an interest- 
ing- and instructive address in our lecture room, on the evening of 
September 26, 1894. His use of the English language is very 
g-ood and his subject matter can not fail to please. 

Mr Adams is an earnest young man and we wish him abun- 
dant success in his proposed work. 

THOMAS POWE:IvIv VERNOIvL, 
Pastor First Reformed Church, Paterson, N. J. 

This is to certify that I am personally acquainted with Mr. 
Isaac Adams, and have every confidence in his Christian charac- 
ter and honesty of purpose. He is preparing himself, by study, 
to the missionary work in his native land of Persia. Any help 
rendered him in securing places to lecture, etc , will be worthily 
bestowed. C. PERRIN, Ph. D., Pastor, 

We concur : Chicag-o, 111. 

B. F. Jacobs, (Great Sunday school man). 
W. R. Harpkr, Ph. D., President University of Chicago. 

I very cordially commend Mr. Isaac Adams to the Christian 
public. He is a native of Persia, belongs to the old Nestorian 
stock, has the highest testimonials from those who have inti- 
mately known him in his own land and in this. I have seen 
enoug-h of him to satisfy me that he is an earnest and humble 
Christian. His lectures have been uniformly listened to with 
pleasure and profit. I trust that he may be cordially welcomed 
and helped in his work of preparation for the service to which he 
hopes to devote his life. P. S. HANSON, D. D., 

Pastor First Baptist Church, Chicag-o, 111. 

I ^m more than pleased with the acqaintance 1 have had with 
Mr. Isaac Adams, and our people were much interested and edi- 
fied with the address which he gave April 9, 1893, in the church. 
I most sincerely pray the richest blessing of God upon his life. 

J. A. JOHNSTON, D. D , 
Pastor First Baptist Church, Kalamazoo, Mich. 

To Whom it May Concern: Mr. Isaac Adams addressed a 
meeting at the First Baptist Church with great acceptance. He 
is a very entertaining and instructive speaker, and the spirit of 
his lecture is exceptionally good. It g-ives me g-reat pleasure to 
cordially commend him to the churches. 

J W. CONIyEY, 
Pastor First Baptist Church, St. Paul, Minn. 

_924 





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To All Whom it May Concern : Mr. Isaac Adams addressed 
the Central Baptist people, Sunday evening. June 4, 1893, and 
g-ave a most interesting- description of Persian manners and 
religious beliefs. His knowledg-e is ample and his ability to set it 
before others in a pictorial manner is quite unusual. His lecture 
is both entertaing- and instructive. To g^rant him the privileg^e of 
addressing- a congreg-ation is a favor to the people fully as much as 
to him. Besides this, he is of worthy character and merits sym- 
pathy in his efforts to obtain an education. I do not usually write 
letters like this, but say these words heartily. 

REV. CHAS. A. REESE, 
Pastor Central Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minn. 

Mr. Isaac Adams g-ave an interesting- address on above date. 
Mr. Adams speaks English remarkably, considering- his short 
time in this country ; is preparing- himself to return to his native 
land as a inissionary ; is dependent upon his addresses for his 
support and expenses at school. Help him. 

REV. MANLY BENSON, 

Grimsby Park, Ontario, Canada. 

Mr. Isaac Adams spoke at our missionary concert on Persia, 
its relig-ion and people, to the great delight of our people. Would 
advise anj^ pastor to give him a hearing. 

REV. WAYEAND HOYT, D. D., 
Pastor First Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minn. 

Isaac Adams, or, in his own language, " Ishak Adam," seeks 
to fit himself for the work of a missionary in Persia, and I have 
reason to believe he is worthy of all the help we can render. 
REV. RICHARD S. MARTIN, D. D., 

Grace M. E. Church, Chicago. 111. 

A large congregation greeted Mr. Isaac Adams in our church 
Sunday evening, March 12, 1893, and listened with great pleasure 
and profit to his address on Persia, etc. Had he continued to 
speak each night during the week I am persuaded he would have 
had full houses On the evening of March 14, through a blizzard, 
many went to Montague to hear him, and there, where he has 
spoken several times, the house was crowded. No minister need 
hesitate to make way for him. He will do the people of any coni- 
munit)' good and help the cause of christianitj' ; especially 
awakening an interest in missions. I most heartily endorse him. 

ALBERT SMITH, 
Pastor M. E. Church, Whitehall, Mich. 

-225- O 



To Whom it May Conckrx : This is to say that Mr Isaac 
Adams spoke to the people of the Woodward Avenue Baptist 
Church, Wednesday evening-. May 10, 1893, and g-reatly interested 
them in the story of the relig-ion of his native country and the 
peculiar habits and customs of the people. Any audience would 
be edified and delighted with him. 

DONAIvD D. MAC I^AURIN,D. D., 
Pastor Woodward Ave. Baptist Church, Detroit, Mich. 

I have examined papers shown by Mr. Adams, Persian, who 
is seeking- an education in this country for future usefulness, and 
find them g-ood. Without personal knowledg-e of his antecedents, 
I take him to be what he claims, and trustworthy. 

S. M. MERRIIvL, 
Bishop M. E. Church, Chicag-o, 111. 

Mr. Isaac Adams gave his lecture on Persia, in the M. 'E,. 
Church of our villag-e, under the auspices of the Women's Foreig-n 
Missionary Society, and it was very entertaining- and instructive 
and I heartily recommend him as a lecturer and Christian brother. 

MRS. N. W. MATHER. 
Pres't Big- Rapids District, W. F. M. S., Howard City, Mich. 

To Whom it May Concern : Brother Isaac Adams lectured 
to a larg-e cong-regation here, composed of the Methodist and Bap- 
tist Churches. His lecture was very interesting and greatly 
appreciated. His coming has helped the missionary spirit among 
our people. Evidently the lyord is using him to do a great work 
in this country. Let all encourage him, and hear him. 

E. E. SINCEEIR, 
Pastor M. E. Church, Reed City, Mich. 

Mr. Isaac Adams, a native Persian, spoke to a crowded house 
Sunday evening, February 26, 1893, to the great satisfaction of 
all. Our people are stirred on the missionary question as never 
before. Many remarked that they had always opposed foreign 
missionary work because they believed it the duty of the Church 
to care for the home work first, but hereafter they would pay 
their money where it would be most appreciated and accomplish 
the greatest amount of good. I very cordially commend Brother 
Adams to the Christian public everywhere as an earnest Christian 
gentleman, worthy of entire confidence and aid ; he is preparing 
to return to his own people as a missionary. 

FRANK H. NIX, 
~ Pastor Morley M. E. Church, Morley, Mich. 



This is to certify that Mr. Isaac Adams g-ave a public address 
on the Relig"ions and People of Persia, at a union meeting of the 
evang-elical churches in the central part of our city on Sunday 
evening-, July 2, 1893, to the edification of the people assembled. 
It is to be hoped that the way will soon be opened for the return 
of Mr. Adams to his native land, that he may preach the gospel 
to his own countrymen. W. J. JOHNSON, 

Pastor First M. E. Church, Sioux City, Iowa. 

My Dear Mr. Adams : I enclose a letter of introduction for 
you to Rev. Dr. Johnson, of McCormick Theological Seminary. T 
think, that, upon reading it, he will give you opportunity for a 
full conversation with him, and I would advise you, before you 
call, to think over what you wish to say and arrange it somewhat 
in your mind, so that you will be able to set your matter before 
him fully and yet briefly. I shall always be glad to hear from 
you, and trust that God will direct your steps and keep you stead- 
fast in his service and love. 

ARTHUR MITCHELL, D. D., 
Sec'y Board of Foreign Missions, Presb. Church, New York. 
( See page 30 ) 

Mr. Isaac Adams, of Persia, spoke in our church twice on 
Sunday, May 8th, 1892, at the Christian Endeavor missionary 
meeting and at the regular service. The people were much in- 
terested He also gave a gospel address at the Y. M. C. A. meet- 
ing on the same day, which my young men said was an address 
of decided power. I can cordially commend this brother to any 
who may desire a missionary address on Persia. 

JAMES LEWIS, 
Pastor Central Presbyterian Church, Joliet, 111. 

Mr. Isaac Adams, a Nestorian from Oroomiah, Persia, comes 
to me with letters of commendation from Dr. Arthur Mitchell. 
He has spoken with success in my church. His purpose is one 
which commends itself to all and I hope he may meet with entire 
success. HANFORD A. EDSON, 

Memorial Church, Indianapolis, Ind. 

To THE Methodist Clergy : Isaac Adams is a success as a 
speaker. He addressed 1,000 people in my church on the evening 
of July 9, 1893, and we were all delighted. You will make no mis- 
take in giving him your pulpit. 

FRANK CRANE, D. D., 
Pastor First M. E. Church of Omaha, Neb. 

-227- 



Mr. Isaac Adams is a native of Orooiniah, Persia, and is 

studying- in this country to prepare himself for work in his native 

land. He has testimonials from Dr. Arthur Mitchell of our Foreign 

Board, from Dr. Wallace and other pastors of Chicago, and from 

Dr. Kdson and others of Indianapolis. I can cheerfully commend 

him and his work to your favor. 

REV. T. Iv. HUGHES, 

Shelbyville, Ind. 

Mr. Isaac Adams, of Oroomiah, Persia, conducted the after- 
noon meeting for young men in the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation building on June 5, 1892. His address on the "Story of 
the Cross" was straightforward and simple and touched the hearts 
of all who heard him. Mr. Adams seems fully qualified in every 
way for the great and self-sacrificing work that he contemplates, 
mission work among his own people, the Nestorians. We all feel 
grateful to him for the inspiration of his remarks and heartily 
commend him to all Christian people as worth3^ of confidence. 

E. A P HAYNES, 
Chairman Religious Work Committee, Indianapolis, Ind. 

Brother Isaac Adams, who is preparing for medical missionary 
work and has several schools in Persia where the children are 
taught the principals of the Christian religion, has written of 
his past experiences, we nave known him for several years and 
have found him a sincere and consecrated student in the worthy 
cause of Christian mission work and would commend his book 
and believe it will prove both interesting- and instructive. 

REV. J. C. VOORHIS, 

Hackensack, N. J. 

Brother Isaac Adams, an excellent Christian brother from 
Persia, who is deeply interested in the welfare of his ;^eople, I 
can give my hearty endorsement in his undertaking. I earnestly 
hope and pray that he will meet with great success, and that he 
may ultimately return and eng-ag-e in his mission. I most cor- 
dially commend him and his work. Brother Adams is a young 
man of fine ability ; his purpose is to fit himself for greater use- 
fulness for the cause of the Master and his people. Brother 
Adams is known to me for about five years, and I have every 
reason to believe that he is worthy of all confidence. I most 
heartily recommend his project to the Christian public or indi- 
viduals who may feel interested to contribute something- to the 
aid of his good work. REV. G. E. BOER, 

Prof. Christian Ref . Theol. Seminary, Grand Rapids, Mich. 

-228— 



Mr. Isaac Adams has been a frequent visitor at my home dur- 
ing- the last three years, and I have been acquainted with him for 
tour years. And I can heartily commend him and his work to all 
those who are interested in the advancement of God's King-dom 
in Persia. I make that assertion both from the fact that I have 
taken considerable pains to examine into his character, and from 
personal experience in my association with him for three years. 
April 8, 1898. REV. S. I. VANDERBEEK, 

Pastor Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Mich. 

I have known Isaac Adams for some time past ; for five 
months he was in my employ. I have found him to be an intelli- 
g-ent, industrious, worthy, Christian young- man, and worthy of 
any aid that will enable him to pursue his studies. 

CAPT^. W. H. MATHEWS, 

Sup't Forty-fourth Street Boys' I^odg-ing House, New York. 

To Whom it May Concern : This certifies that I have known 
Isaac Adams for more than a year, and I consider him an earnest, 
reliable, Christian young man. He has been one year as a 
student at Hampton Normal Institute, Va.. and his teachers 
there speak of him in the hig-hest terms and are hopeful of his 
being- able to return to his country, Persia, and be an instrument 
of good in teaching- them of the hig-her ways of living-. I most 
cheerfully recommend him to the confidence of any church desir- 
ing to help in foreig-n missionary work. 

B W. TICE, 
Sup't West Side Boys' Lodging- House, New York. 

To Whom it May Concern: This is to certify that Isaac 
Adams, from Oroomiah, Persia, has been connected with this 
institution for eight months, and has been an earnest student 
and a straightforward Christian man. He is preparing himself 
for work among his own people. 

REV. H. B. FRISSELIv, 

Chaplain Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va. 

To Any Concerned : Mr. Isaac Adams, a native of Persia, 
has stayed in our town a couple of months, and has spoken with 
much acceptance in all the leading churches, and in our hall, to 
large audiences. We take great pleasure in recommending him 
as a brother in Christ, worthy of the confidence and help of all 
Christian people, and wish him God-speed in his preparation for 
missionary work among his own people. 

T. F. BEST, 
Sec'y Young Men's Christian Association, Brantford, Canada. 

— 2:>9- 



Acknowledgment. 

I feel very much indebted to several persons v^^ho 
have kindly aided me, a poor, forlorn strang-er in this 
vast country, in publishing this little volume. To them 
all, in whatever way they may have been of assistance 
to me, I hereby tender my heartiest thanks, hoping- that 
our common Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, ma}^ let 
them reap returns as He has promised. 

Isaac Adams. 



Lord's Praj'er in ancient S3Tiac, as spoken 
bj- the Nestdrians. 



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